Guwahati, Sep 12 : The CBI probe into the North Cachar Hills (now Dima Hasao) scam has revealed that several crores of rupees meant for uplift of below poverty line families, pensions and healthcare schemes had been siphoned off.
A CBI source said that during the investigation it came to light that officials of the social welfare department and some others had misappropriated Rs 3.50 crore meant for implementation of a specific scheme for economic uplift of BPL families.
“Another Rs 2.50 crore was allegedly misappropriated from National Old Age Pension Scheme and National Family Benefit Scheme,” one of the sources said.
Under the pension scheme, the government provides a monthly pension to the people who are over 65 years of age and living below the poverty line.
Similarly, the Union ministry of rural development, in order to assist BPL families, provides financial assistance in the case of the death of the bread-earner of a family.
“It’s really shocking and disheartening to find that funds meant for the uplift of poor in an underdeveloped and remote region of the country has been siphoned off,” the source said.
He said even the healthcare sector in the Dima Hasao (formerly North Cachar Hills) district in not free from corruption.
“The CBI investigation has revealed that Rs 1.9 crore was drawn by cheque during 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 for medicines, implementation of healthcare schemes and incentive for doctors. However, no documentary evidence could be found in support of utilisation of Rs 1.75 crore,” the source said.
“It’s just the tip of the iceberg. If we take into account all the scams that had taken place in the district in the past 10 years, the total amount of money involved in the scams will easily run into hundreds of crores of rupees,” he said.
The CBI has also found clues against a former principal secretary of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council and a former deputy director of the social welfare department, who allegedly swindled crores of rupees during their tenure in the district.
The CBI has filed two cases — RC SHG 2011 A 0003 and RC SHG 2011 A 0002 — against the duo. Both these cases are being investigated by the CBI’s anti-corruption branch in Shillong.