
RANCHI: In a major crackdown over fraud in the ‘Maiyan Samman Yojana,’ the IDs of three Common Service Centre (CSC) operators in Garhwa have been cancelled with immediate effect. Following reports published by The New Indian Express on misappropriation of funds by computer operators during the registration of accounts for the ‘Maiyan Samman Yojana,’ the Garhwa Deputy Commissioner (DC) had ordered a probe.
After the inquiry, the involvement of three CSC operators -- Navneet Kumar Patel, Satyanarayan Gupta and Ajit Prajapati -- was confirmed, following which their IDs were cancelled and the amount withdrawn by them recovered. The Garhwa DC admitted that the action was taken after the issue was flagged by The New Indian Express.
“After the issue was flagged by The New Indian Express, a probe was ordered and the allegations against the three CSC operators were found to be true. We have cancelled their IDs and recovered the money credited in their account,” said Garhwa DC Shekhar Jamuar.
When asked why an FIR was not lodged against these people, the DC said it would be very harsh if they filed an FIR for misappropriation of Rs 1000. However, a strong message has been conveyed to those involved in such malpractices, he said.
The fraud surfaced in Kupa Panchayat, Kharondhi block, where the CSC operators intentionally misused the Maiyaan Samman Yojana portal. Instead of entering the correct bank account numbers and IFSC codes of beneficiaries, they entered the details of their own or their close relatives’ accounts to misappropriate funds.
Following the revelation, the circle officer of Kharondhi conducted an investigation. The inquiry confirmed the allegations. It was found that the CSC operators had manipulated beneficiary information to divert funds to personal accounts or those of their kin.
It was found that funds for seven beneficiaries were transferred to the bank account of Reshmi Devi, wife of CSC operator Navneet Patel. Similarly, funds for five beneficiaries were deposited into the account of CSC operator Satyanarayan Gupta. In another case, funds for nine beneficiaries were redirected to the account of Lalati Devi, mother of CSC operator Ajit Prajapati.
Notably, similar irregularities were also received from Kasmar Block in Bokaro, where two computer operators were found to be taking benefits of ‘Maiyan Samman Yojana’ in their bank accounts, following which an FIR was lodged against one of them.
The ‘Maiyan Samman Yojana,’ the flagship programme of the Hemant Soren government, launched in August this year, is an ambitious scheme of the state government under which all women aged between 21 to 50 years in the state were getting financial assistance of Rs 1000 every month in their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Looking at its popularity before the Assembly polls, the financial assistance was increased to Rs 2500.