Haryana: Dept seeks dismissal of 2 former GMs of cooperative development project

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

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Chandigarh, February 5

After the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) revealed a fraud of Rs 100 crore, the Cooperation Department has moved a case for the dismissal of Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies (ARCS) Anu Kaushish and Deputy Chief Auditor Yogender Aggarwal from service under Article 311 (2) (b) of the Constitution.

Rs 100-cr scam

• Senior functionary’s role under lens
• The ACB has sought permission under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to investigate the role of a senior functionary and an Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies

Both Kaushish and Aggarwal had served as General Manager (GM), Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP), Rewari.

The department had yesterday suspended Krishan Chand Beniwal and Jitender Kaushik, who had earlier served as GM (ICDP), Kaithal, after FIRs were registered against them on January 31.

Rohit Gupta, District Registrar Cooperative Societies (DRCS), Karnal, has also been arrested. Meanwhile, the ACB has sought permission under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to investigate the role of a senior functionary, Naresh Goyal, and ARCS Rajesh Sehrawat.

Earlier, the Registrar Cooperative Societies had dismissed another accused, Sumit Agarwal, former senior auditor, on October 23.

The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) had sanctioned money under the ICDP for the development of cooperative societies in several districts of the state.

From 2017-18 to 2020-21, Rs 22.16 crore was received in Rewari district, of which Rs 15.67 crore was spent. Stalian Jeet, director of Banbridge Constructions Pvt Ltd, Bantam Overseas Pvt Ltd, Bantam India Limited, Loadlink Systems Pvt Ltd, and Laybay India Ltd, bagged the contracts. These firms were hired in violation of rules and kickbacks worth Rs 55.30 lakh were allegedly paid to Kaushish and her family.

Kaushish withdrew Rs 4 crore after the ICDP period was over. This was transferred to different people, and Rs 54.60 lakh was paid back to her family. Plots were purchased by Kaushish and another ARCS Ram Kumar, now under suspension.

At Tatarpur PACS, no record of expenditure of Rs 40.20 lakh was found. Though there is no provision for TA/DA in the ICDP, officials took it in lakhs. FDs worth Rs 21.94 crore were executed in different banks in violation of rules and interest was siphoned off.