HYDERABAD: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials, who noticed irregularities in the state government’s Shaadi Mubarak scheme during their raids, have found that the scheme is being misused by a mafia comprising middlemen, Mee Seva centre staff, revenue department officials and employees of minority welfare department.
Telangana State ACB Director General (DG) AK Khan directed all the officials of twin cities and districts of the state to keep a vigil on irregularities that took place in Shaadi Mubarak scheme. The deputy superintendent of Police (DSPs) of all districts carried out raids on various government offices and verified beneficiary details.
In the status report to be submitted to the ACB higher officials, the DSPs stated that middlemen, Mee Seva center owners and staff, employees of revenue and minorities welfare departments have conspired by forming as a mafia and indulged in misusing the Shaadi Mubarak scheme by obtaining benefits worth Rs 51,000 in submitting fake and fabricated documents, sources said.
ACB DSP Ranga Reddy district M Prabhakar quoting a case, told Express that the accused have applied by enclosing forged documents on the name of one Sulthana Begum and withdrew Rs 51,000 from the scheme without the knowledge of the applicant.
In another incident, one Mohd Zahed Ali runs a Mee Seva centre near Owaisi vegetable market in Kishanbagh. He demanded Rs 31,000 as commission out of Rs 51,000 from the scheme from one Fouziya Begum. In raids, the investigation agencies found 20 fake applications of Shaadi Mubarak scheme.
In Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, while the government officials and Mee Seva center owners including middlemen have colluded together in conspiring to misuse the funds, middlemen forcibly took huge commission from the applicants living in districts of the state.
ACB officials have came to conclusion that the funds released under the scheme were misused with the involvement of government officials who have right to sanction the funds by certifying the applicant. Following the irregularities, ACB officials are likely to intensify the raids on the Mee Seva centers, government offices to prevent misuse of funds.