74 officials face suspension in Rs 526-crore loan scam
At least 74 more officials of the Annabhau Sathe Backward Development Corporation (ASBDC) are likely to be suspended soon for their role in the Rs 526-crore scam. They would be suspended and cases would be filed against them, Minister of State for Social Justice Dileep Kamble told FPJ.
Many more officials of the corporation might have to face similar action soon, the minister added. The tentacles of the scam are likely to spread to the doors of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders after the state government formally lodged a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this regard, the minister said. We are also tracing the trail of the money which might have been diverted to foreign destinations, the minister said, adding that the case might even be handed over to the CBI for effective investigation.
The Crime Investigation Department (CID) in its investigation report last month had indicted NCP legislator Ramesh Kadam for siphoning off the government money. Kadam stands accused for splurging the money for buying property in his personal name as well as purchasing luxury cars for the NCP workers and leaders forging papers.
“We are investigating in detail why then government provided so much funds to the corporation by going out of the way. We will not spare anyone who will be found involved in the scam,” Kamble said. The ASBDC works under Kamble’s department.
In its investigation, the CID has found that Kadam used to threaten the employees of the corporation to carry out transactions in his favour, at times even at gun point, Kamble said.
Kadam has purchased a spacious residential property in the city’s plush area of Pedder Road for a whopping Rs 125 crore for personal use. Apart from that he has also purchased properties in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. These properties can be sold to recover the duped money, the minister indicated. provide the fund for the same.
On the other hand there has been a budgetary allocation of Rs 60 crore made for providing Automatic Door Closing system in 300 coaches of long-distance trains.
In the budget for 2015-16, the Railway Board has sanctioned a rolling stock program for Western Railway under which 300 coaches of the long distance cost about Rs 5 lakhs.
A senior official from WR said: “Closed doors in long distance trains will be a necessity when the trains will run at a semihigh speed of 260 kmph and above. But for this, there is a dire need for upgradation of infrastructure like tracks. Until the basics are upgraded, the automatic door closing in coaches will be of no use.”