| Staff REPORTER |
ITANAGAR, Nov 28: The ‘Joint Action Committee for Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (JACPMKSY)’ has accused the State’s Rural Development Department of misappropriating the PMKSY funds.
It claimed that the laid down norms for execution of PMKSY schemes have been violated that led to embezzlement of Rs 408.56 crore. It called for a high-level enquiry into the matter.
Addressing a press conference here today, the Committee chairman Maji Tayum claimed that the RD Ministry approved and sanctioned the said funds for the construction of 66 numbers of Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0) projects in the state. However, the funds had been siphoned off by the concerned officials of the department.
He insisted that the matter needs to be investigated by a high level enquiry committee.
Informing that the project was supposed to be implemented by Watershed Committee through Watershed Cell cum Data Centre (WCDC), Watershed Development Team (WDT) and Project Implementing Agency (PIA), the JACPMKSY alleged that the department ignored the norms and awarded the work order to private agency without floating any NIT (notice inviting tender).
“The department made direct payment through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to many of the contractors,” Tayum said, adding that as per guidelines, payments should have been made through BDOs (Block Development Officers) of the respective districts.
The Committee appealed to the State Government to put the Director, Joint Director and other officials under suspension till completion of the investigation process, and to halt the further sanction and release of payments and also to blacklist the firms involved in the alleged scam.
An FIR in this regard has been lodged with the Special Investigation Cell (SIC), he said.