RAIPUR: The Auditor General, in its annual report, tabled in Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday, blew the lid off a blanket scam, similar to the fodder scam by Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation (Jharcraft), worth Rs 18.41 crore, where registration number of over 95 per cent of the vehicles mentioned in transport challans (spot fines) did not match with the vehicle number mentioned in road permits during an investigation.
The Auditor General said that they have a very detailed report about Jharcraft and its weaving of blankets for the people and found that the material available for the Jharcraft was not conducive for weaving. “Hence, we were forced to conduct a lot of examinations, after which we found that there’s enough room for doubt, as far as the weaving of the blankets are concerned,” C Neduchelian, the Auditor General, said. He said the former Development Commissioner had ordered a vigilance inquiry, which is still on.
It was found that the stock account of yarn was based only on sale invoices and there was no proof that the items and quantities had actually been delivered. “After looking at the records, the claims made by Jharcraft that it distributed blankets worth Rs 18.41 crore appear to be completely fake as no documentary evidence was submitted to prove it.
Even while examining the transportation vouchers, not even 5 per cent of the vehicles mentioned in transport challans match with the vehicle number mentioned in road permits,” Deputy AG Faizan Ahmed said. When records of the three toll plazas linked to it were cross examined, it was found that several trucks returned from Panipat with yarns the same day, covering a distance of 4,000 km, he added.