From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 22: The total volume of funds involved in mismanagement of bank accounts in Karnataka’s Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) ministry has been pegged at about Rs 4,500 crore by the official inquiry committee headed by Punati Sridhar, Executive Director of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development.
The inquiry committee has submitted its final report according to State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the minister said the inquiry committee dug deep into 1128 bank accounts in both nationalised and private banks held by the RDPR department in connection with various schemes and programmes.
He said the inquiry committee has come out with startling revelations on gross financial mismanagement, siphoning of funds from bank accounts, illegal transactions through many accounts.
The inquiry committee had earlier submitted two interim reports, he said.
The probe which looked into "illegal parking" of funds in various banks since 2010-11 has revealed that a total of Rs1335crore has been found to be left unspent upto March 31, 2015.
Of the Rs 1335 crore, as much as Rs505crore has been found to be lying unspent for over two to three years, Patil said.
The minister assured that the Audit department would go through the report and action would be initiated based on the audit report within two months.
Criminal cases would be filed against officials found to have been involved in these corrupt transactions, he said.
The probe has exposed more shocking facts as Rs58crore funds allotted for programmes long ago, which are now either been cancelled or completed, have not been returned to the department.
The amount has been found to be still remaining in bank accounts.
There are instances galore of officials operating the accounts as per their whim and fancy, siphoning-off of funds, opening multiple accounts for the same programme, deliberately not completing the projects within fixed time frame.
"In many offices the officers have not even maintained the cash book, grant register, bank pass books and specimen signature register. For instance, accounts for Rs 3,008 crore in Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd(KRIDL) is not tallying and it has been found that money has been deposited in the personal accounts of many officers," Patil explained.