Agartala:Tripura government has been accused of siphoning of fund to the tune of Rs 21.5 cr annually under centrally sponsored old age pension scheme since 2010-11 with fake beneficiary names, which was objected by comptroller and auditor general (CAG).
In a letter to public accounts committee (PAC) Chairman Gopal Roy, leader of the opposition Sudip Roy Barman today demanded action against the concerned officers of the Social Welfare and education for non-compliance of the CAG observation made in 2011-12 by the state government.
Mr Roy Barman however, pointed out as many as 21,288 beneficiaries of the pension scheme were found fake in West and Dhalai district of Tripura and CAG directed the authority to stop payment but still it is continuing.
“CAG audited only the two districts of the then four and anticipated that the same thing is going on in all other districts of the state where beneficiaries are found either dead, non-existent or ineligible for getting the pension under the scheme and only in two districts so far Rs 65 Cr is estimated to be looted in past four years even after objection from CAG,” Mr Roy Barman stated.
He further alleged that CAG as per rules sought reply from both social welfare and finance departments of the state government on the corruption and directed to stop payment but neither they reply nor stop payment.
Mr Roy Barman accused Chief Minister Manik Sarkar of shielding all the corrupt officers in the administration for his narrow political interest and added:
“He created an ambience at national level that he is the poorest CM in India who does not have mentionable wealth and luxury but actually he is reversed in life-style.”
Mr Sarkar has transferred Director of Audit last night and demoted him and posted a promoted officer of the post. (UNI)
