VISAKHAPATNAM: Treasuries director Hanumantha Rao arrived here on Friday night to monitor directly the recently surfaced R50 lakh pension arrears scam by one junior accountant of the Seethammadhara divisional sub-treasury office by using the IDs and passwords of higher officials.
The Treasury Department officials said that if the allegations are proved, around half a dozen officials of the Seethammadhara sub-treasury office will face the music.
State higher officials were shocked over the issue even as the powerful CFMS system is in force and all payments are made through the sophisticated new system. They wondered how a junior accountant was able to hoodwink officials and transfer Rs 50 lakh to his mother’s and four other accounts conveniently. How is it possible? Where is the mistake? Why the three-phase monitoring system failed in unearthing the fraud at the grass roots and nip it in the bud? Who is behind all this? And from whom the amount should be recovered? These are the questions posed by the higher-ups to the district treasury officials and there is no proper answer from the latter as they are still in a state of shock.
In connection with the Rs 50 lakh scam, the principal secretary of the Finance department has expressed his anger and issued clear orders to identify and punish the real culprits.