Agri Society officials swindle Rs 50 lakh from Pongal gift fund

CHENNAI: At least three senior officials attached to Agriculture Producers Cooperative Marketing Societies in Krishnagiri are facing vigilance probe for allegedly swindling Rs 50 lakh meant for purchasing items for Pongal gift distribution in 2019.

The accused officials were identified as TK Prabhakaran, former Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Krishnagiri district; P Mohan, Co-operative Sub-Registrar, formerly in-charge managing director, Agricultural Producers Co-operative Marketing Societies, Kelamangalam and Kaveripattinam, Krishnagiri; and R Maheswari, General Manager, Kaveripattinam Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Society, Krishnagiri.

The State government had allotted Rs 1.98 crore for purchase of Pongal gift for distribution to ration card holders in Krishnagiri in 2019. Of the allotted fund, Rs 51 lakh was available as balance amount after purchasing gift items.

With the active connivance of Maheswari, Mohan allegedly prepared false vouchers by forging the signatures of farmers, as if he himself had purchased sugarcane for a total amount of Rs 51.3 lakh from 17 farmers of various places. Subsequently, Mohan withdrew Rs 50 lakh from the bank account using 10 cheques on various dates from June 26, 2019, to July 16, 2019. He himself had prepared all the vouchers in July 2019, officials said.

DVAC sleuths had further gathered information that the sugarcane distributed along with the Pongal gift was purchased by the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies and Agricultural Producers Cooperative Marketing Societies concerned, and the cost was met out by them from their funds. Thus, the three accused who were entrusted with the government funds, fraudulently and dishonestly misappropriated Rs 50 lakh towards the cost of sugarcane which was withdrawn from the State Bank by way of forgery, the agency said.

Further, it was gathered that apart from this irregularity, Prabhakaran and Mohan had committed malpractices in the appointment of 48 salesmen in the Fair Price Shops running under the control of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies in Krishnagiri.