Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Complaint on Scam worth Rs. 600 crore of OSCB filed in Odisha Likayukta


Complaint on Scam, Fraud, Forgery  and Financial Irregularities  worth Rs. 600 crore of OSCB filed in Odisha Likayukta

Bhubaneswar: 9.7.19, a Team of RTI Activists  filed  complaint  case  in Odisha Lokayukta  seeking an urgent inquiry into  multi-crore  Scam,   financial  irregularities,  fraud  and forgery  in Odisha State  Cooperative  Bank  and demanded stringent  action against   Sri  Bishnupada Sethy, IAS,  the then Management-in-Charge, OSCB  and Mr. Tusarkanti Panda, former Managing Director, OSCB  and  other officials  who have masterminded  these scams.

Since 2015, RTI Activists have been exposing corruption, fraud and forgery in Odisha state Cooperative Bank   by filling multiple RTI Applications   to different offices.  Earlier series  of  complaints  have been filed  to different  authorities  including office of Chief Minister  and  State  Vigilance  to enquire  into the matter.  In 2017, Dr. Damodar Rout, the then  Minister for Cooperation, Govt. of Odisha  had  written letter  to   SP, Vigilance  and Chief Minister  seeking  an inquiry  into  irregularities  in OSCB. But office of Chief Minister sat over the file for years together to suppress it.

As Odisha Lokayukta is the   top autonomous and independent anti-corruption agency in the state empowered to enquire into all cases of corruption, RTI Activists Pradip Pradhan, Mrs. Sanjukta Panigrahi and Sudhir Mohanty filed complaint on 9.7.19  seeking an inquiry into it.

Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) is the only wing of Government of Odisha engaged in crop loan financing for boosting agricultural production. With a network of 17 DCCBs and around 2700 PACS and LAMPCS it serves 50 lakhs small and marginal farmers including 20 lakhs small rural depositors. It is also engaged in paddy procurement from small farmers at MSP on behalf of OSCSC. It is a State partnered scheduled Bank set up /registered under the Orissa Cooperative societies Act, 1962 baring Regd.No. 29/CU dt. 2.4.1948 with State Govt. share capital contribution of more than Rs 104 Crore.  It’s main object is to cater the credit requirement of the farmers, artisans and agrarian communities in the rural sector. The total share capital of the Bank exceeds Rs.400 crore and its total deposit would be around Rs.8000 crore. Though OSCB operates its Banking activity as per provisions of Banking Regulation act and RBI guidelines it is strictly amenable to the provisions of OCS Act,1962, OCS Rules, 1965 and Bye laws of OSCB in regards to appointment, qualification, remuneration and service conditions of employees.

RTI Activists drew  attention  of Odisha Lokayukta  about  number  of  financial irregularities  like  illegal payments  of lakhs  of rupees  to Sri Bishnupada Sethy, the then Management-in-Charge,  illegal extension of service of Tusarkanti Panda, former MD, illegal engagement  of VSoft Company for CBS softwire by  flouting tender process causing huge financial loss  to Bank,  taking arbitrary  decision to purchase Computer for PACS ( Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies), illegal sanction of Rs. 36  crores to Bijayanand Cooperative Sugar mill, Bolangir,  regular foreign travels of MD and other officials  without sanction of the authority,  arbitrary  decision  for  purchase of Mobile Banking Van worth Rs.  6 crores, illegal interest subvention claim through forgery  of documents from Govt. of India and Govt. of Odisha   worth Rs. 500 crore , arbitrary selection of  Madras Printers  for printing of RuPay card  for  farmers  etc.

Earlier, Sri Srikant Pakal, RTI Activist had  filed complaint  in Lokayukta  seeking inquiry into scam of Sri Bishnupada Sethy during his tenure of Management-in-Charge of OSCB.

Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843482

Date-7.9.19

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