Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 14:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been entrusted to sort out a complex situation wherein involvement of an armed group in swindling Rs 1,23,03,580, meant for pensionary benefits of Nagaland Sugar Mills Company Limited employees, is being speculated.
The CBI's role in handling the alleged scam has been strongly advocated as per a Novr 6, 2007 decree by the Gauhati High Court in its Kohima Bench sitting.
According to case dossiers, the said amount was supposed to be disbursed to the Company's seasonal employees as entitled under the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) regulation.
The employees, who are the petitioners, contended before the Court that payments made available to them was disproportionate to the total earmarked amount.
Moreover, they also alleged involvement of an underground group when the VRS benefits were distributed.
The mill is said to have been shut in 2001.As per copies made available to the press today, Justice BD Agarwal in his judgement asked the Nagaland Govt to pay retrial packages due to the writ petitioners in three month's time and in case of failure to comply to the ruling entailing interest of 8 percent per annum calculated from the day the order was passed.
Acting on the petitioners' plea most of whom are said to be non-locals, the Court asked the State Government of Nagaland to process disciplinary action against officials involved in the scandalous disbursement.
Moreover, the Court construed that the matter need to be dealt with appropriately as financial indiscipline on the part of the disbursal officials could not be ruled as payment of such large amount requires adherence to certain approved norms.
The CBI's tasks include ascertaining identities regarding who had actually withdrawn the amount from bank and whether any Govt representative/s had received kick-backs from the total released amount.
The CBI is suppose to complete the probe within four months.
Contents of the ruling (copies) suggest that the said amount was released by the Director of Industries and Commerce, Nagaland vide cheque No 331998 dated April 23, 2004 and drawn from State Bank of India, Lerie branch (Kohima).
The cheque was issued in the name of an individual who reportedly represented the seasonal employees as the ex-chairman of an adhoc committee constituted for limited purpose, particularly for getting release of the retrial benefits.
The same was allegedly encashed directly by the said individual on April 26 and from the total amount only a handful was disbursed to few of the seasonal employees that too through underground activists.