HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday ordered the Vigilance and Enforcement department to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged irregularities in implementation of the sheep and fish distribution schemes during the BRS regime.
During a review meeting with the officials of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries departments held at the Secretariat, he said that the implementation of these schemes, right from launch, selection of the beneficiaries, purchase and distribution, should be investigated from all angles.
Adviser to Chief Minister Vem Narender Reddy, Principal Secretary to CM Seshadri, Special Chief Secretary of Animal Husbandry Department Adhar Sinha, Dairy Director Lakshmi and Fisheries Director Gopi attended the review meeting.
“If any corruption or irregularities are detected during the inquiry, the details should be immediately handed over to the ACB,” he said and added that the recent CAG report pointed out massive corruption in these schemes.
“Funds related to sheep distribution were diverted to their own bank accounts by some employees under benami names,” he added.
The CM also wanted to know from the officials as to why the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), which had given a loan of Rs 3,955 crore, had stopped giving the second tranche loans.
The officials said that the NCDC had not disbursed the second tranche loans as the CAG had already raised various objections against the scheme and detected irregularities in its implementation.
When he asked why sheep were not distributed to the beneficiaries who had already paid 25 per cent as their share, the officials explained that 85,488 beneficiaries paid 25 per cent share and that Rs 430 crore are in the bank accounts of district collectors. “Around 2,20,792 beneficiaries have not paid money,” they informed.
Officials have brought to the attention of the CM that the incentive of Rs 4 per liter to dairy farmers has not been given for three years. They said that the arrears of about Rs 203 crore have accumulated in this regard. In response, Revanth directed the officials to regularly release the incentives to the dairy farmers from April onwards and said that payments should be made through green channel every month.
The CM suggested that there should be a veterinary hospital in every mandal. He said that mobile veterinary clinic services should be continued and necessary tenders should be called immediately.
Revanth advised the officials to consider the proposal to give weightage to those who have been working in this department for years in the recruitment of veterinary assistant surgeon posts undertaken by TSPSC. The weightage system implemented in the Health department should be applied in this department as well, he said.