By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Cooperation, Handloom and Textile Minister Pradeep Bal Samant has assured stringent action on Cuttack Central Cooperative Bank’s Rs 200 Crore Agriculture Loan Scam in Rajkanika-Aul in Kendrapara.
Minister Bal Samant’s reaction came after Aul Assembly seat BJP MLA Candidate Krushna Chandra Panda drew his attention towards massive scam in twin blocks. Panda , who is also BJP Kendrapara District, Vice President, urged Minister Bal Samant to order a probe into the issue and take action against all erring officials and secretaries. Sources said, all the accused PACS secretaries and Bank officials were close aids of BJD MLA Pratap Deb and they were regularly funding BJD ignoring farmers’ interest.
Sources said, a large scale corruption and massive irregularities have come to fore in connection with the functioning of Cuttack Central Cooperative Bank in Rajkanika and Aul in Kendrapara district.
The alleged irregularities and scam would worth around Rs 200 Crore , sources claimed. Local farmers of Rajkanika and Aul have alleged that huge money have allegedly been withdrawn from the accounts of farmers without their knowledge at Baruna Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society, the branch of Cuttack Central Cooperative Bank at Rajkanika in Kendrapara district.
While farmers have accused bank secretary Asit Behuria of swindling the money, they also suspect the involvement of other officials. Irate farmers demanded the strictest and exemplary punishment for those involved in the fraud of swindling money of innocent and uneducated farmers.
Several cases have been lodged with the Rajkanika and Aul police. “Baruna Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society secretary Asit Behuria has swindled lakhs of rupees from the accounts of farmers without their knowledge. Despite several written complaints, no action has been taken against him,” alleged farmer leader and social activist, Prabesan Mallick.
It may be noted here that, earlier several PACS secretaries in Rajkanika and Aul were arrested for defalcating agriculture loans meant for farmers.
Recently, a case was lodged at Rajkanika Police station against bank branch manager and the cooperative society secretary Ashish Behera based on a complaint lodged by the farmer, identified as Dharanidhar Nayak of Patuli village. The farmer had taken loan of Rs 1.59 lakh and the money was credited to his account. However, when he went to withdraw the amount from the bank he found that the money had already been withdrawn.
