Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has initiated an audit of central funds allocated to the Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP) following allegations of officials misusing funds. Praveen Attrey, CM’s media secretary, confirmed this move, marking the first audit since the project’s inception in 1992.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau recently arrested 10 senior officers and four others, uncovering a purported 100 crore rupee scam, as announced by Haryana’s Director General of Police, Shatrujeet Kapoor.
Congress, seizing on the controversy, plans a no-confidence motion against the BJP-JJP government, citing cooperative fraud and other grievances. Allegedly, officials used official accounts to buy property, forging documents to conceal their actions.
Nine FIRs have been filed by the ACB from May 13, 2023, to January 31, 2024, shedding light on malfeasance within the cooperative department. The ICDP, a central sector scheme, aims for cooperative development in agriculture and allied sectors.
The scheme’s modus operandi involves project approval by a State Level Committee before fund disbursement. Misappropriation reportedly occurred at this stage, prompting a vigilance inquiry in November 2022.
Accountant Sumit Agarwal was dismissed, while recommendations for dismissal of general managers Anu Koshish and Yogender Agarwal have been made. The unfolding scandal underscores the need for transparency in development projects.