Two officials of ASAMB suspended for fund misappropriation
From a Correspondent
Guwahati, September 14: In the continuous initiative taken by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board (ASAMB), Padma th Das to streamline the functioning of the Board and to check all the irregularities and the corrupt practices being committed by a section of corrupt officials in ASAMB, which is one of the major revenue earning Boards of the State Government, two officials of ASAMB have been placed under suspension.
The CEO, vide an order issued on September 9, has placed the Executive Engineer of Division II Rama Kanta Dev th and Assistant Engineer Sarojini Das under suspension. Taking a serious note on the matter, the ASAMB has also decided to lodge an FIR at the Anti-Corruption and Vigilance Department of Assam Police against both the suspended officials.
According to the information, both the suspended officials were found to be involved in misappropriation of government fund by preparing false bill vouchers amounting to Rs. 12,93,000 in the construction work of Extension of Headquarters building at Ram Krish gar in Guwahati. The construction work, origilly amounting to Rs 61,53,000, was sanctioned in 2006-07 and the amount was, however, increased up to Rs. 1,75,91,524 as per revised estimate and the construction work was allotted to two contractors in three groups through tender process. Significantly, two of the three groups of the work were allotted to one Rupam Dev th who is the son of the suspended Executive Engineer Rama Kanta Dev th.
The CEO immediately after taking over in February, smelt some foul in the construction works and instituted an inquiry committed headed by Executive Engineer Bulbul Hussain few days back. During the verification by the inquiry committee on September 8 and September 9, a vast difference between the billing quantities of the items and the actual work done amounting to Rs, 12,93,000 was detected for all the three groups of the construction work. On the basis of the report submitted by the inquiry committee, the CEO vide an order dated September 9, has placed both the erring officials under suspension. Further, the ASAMB has formed an inquiry committee to conduct a detailed inquiry into the misappropriation of government funds in the Board.