ADILABAD: The Intelligence department has begun an inquiry into the Rs 10 crore funds embezzled in the distribution of input subsidy of Rs 61.25 crore granted towards crop damaged due to rains that lashed Adilabad district in July, 2013.
A news report on the fraud in the distribution of input subsidy was published in these columns of Deccan Chronicle on October 31.
News is making rounds in the political and official circles that the state government may order an CID inquiry into the swindling, considering the gravity of the fraud.
The state government, recently, released Rs 400 crore towards input subsidy for the crops damaged due to hailstorm, heavy rains and floods between 2010-2013. It is learnt the state government received complaints on misuse of funds granted towards input subsidy from other districts as well.
Some farmers were learnt to have taken the scam to the notice of Poonam Malakondaiah, the chief of the agriculture department.
The intelligence personnel are collecting information regarding irregularities in the distribution of input subsidy from one gram panchayat in each mandal from each Assembly constituency in the district. The fraud came to light at Kokasmannur village in Ichoda mandal.
Sources said a model farmer, an agriculture officer and a few bank officials, in collusion, siphoned off Rs 10 lakh subsidy funds of the total Rs 24 lakh released for 379 farmers in Kokasmannur village. It is learnt that the funds were siphoned off through 19 benamis and six dead persons and by hiking the area of land actually owned by seven farmers.
Some officials of the agriculture department, it is known, are trying to evade action by tampering the details of bank accounts, names of farmers and Aadhaar numbers in the earlier lists.
The agriculture officials are likely to file a police case against a model farmer, belonging to Kokasmannur village in Ichoda mandal, considering him the prime accused in the subsidy scam.
