House panel for time-bound probe into fund bunglings in Punjab co-op dept

A vidhan sabha committee set up to study the functioning of the co-operative department for 2023-24 has recommended a time-bound probe into embezzlements and bunglings in the department

Chandigarh : A vidhan sabha committee set up to study the functioning of the co-operative department for 2023-24 has recommended a time-bound probe into embezzlements and bunglings in the department.

A vidhan sabha committee set up to study the functioning of the co-operative department for 2023-24 has recommended a time-bound probe into embezzlements and bunglings in the department.

The committee headed by AAP member Gurpreet Singh Banawali, whose report was tabled in the House assembly on Monday, has also recommended the government to appoint a DGP-level officer to conduct probes into all financial irregularities in the department.

The committee has also sought a list of all financial embezzlements. “Criminal proceedings were recommended against culprit officials three to four years ago, but no action has been initiated to date. In many cases wherein FIRs were registered, challans have not been presented in courts. Many accused officials have settled abroad but they have not been declared proclaimed offenders,” said Banawali.

The committee has found that financial recovery worth crores of rupees was pending against employees who committed financial fraud, but no effort has been made to attach their salaries and pensions.

The committee has recommended strong internal communication system in the department to raise the issue of financial bunglings.

The committee also found that the chief vigilance officer (CVO) office was ineffective in tackling embezzlement cases.

The committee chairman also informed the House that the financial frauds have hit the co-operation department to the level that many wings of the department were on the verge of closure.

Around 5,000 entries have been found deleted in the Primary Cooperative Agricultural Development Banks (PADBs), the committee report stated.

“This means, at least 5,000 acres of land that was not mortgaged with the bank was either sold or the bank didn’t bother to ensure maintaining the revenue entries,” the committee found.