THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation’s money dealings run into controversy now and then.
The latest one at KSCDC is that out of the Rs 30 crore sanctioned by the government, Rs 15 crore was deposited at Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) against government rules.
The finance department circular of 2009 stipulates that government funds should not be deposited in nationalised banks/private new generation banks or cooperative banks.
It was on Wednesday that KSCDC received Rs 30 crore from the government treasury which is meant to pay for last year’s pending Onam bonus as well as this year’s bonus.
Since the last two days, KSCDC has dispersed between Rs 3 – Rs 4 crore towards last years’ festival bonus for 10,000 cashew workers.
This year’s Onam bonus is likely to be given early next week after the government comes to a conclusion on the bonus.
A KSCDC source told DC that the corporation had deposited Rs 15 crore at IDBI’s Kollam main branch at Kaankathu Mukku.
“KSCDC has yet again shown scant regard for government rules or circulars. Instead of keeping the funds at the treasury, they deposited Rs 15 crore at the main branch of IDBI bank in Kollam. Out of that, Rs 3 - Rs 4 crore has been withdrawn by the KSCDC in the last two days towards last year’s pending Onam bonus. There are two secret accounts for KSCDC at IDBI and also at Kollam District Cooperative Bank”, said a KSCDC source.
He also claimed that crores in cash were kept at KSCDC office on some days which was also against Government rules.
However, KSCDC chairman and INTUC State president R. Chandrasekharan told DC that they had several bank accounts in various banks like SBT, SBI and other cooperative banks, but feigned ignorance about depositing Rs 15 crore in IDBI.
“Sometimes we deposit funds in banks for a few hours or even a few days. Already the government had created liability worth Rs 100 crores and more to nationalised banks like SBT and SBI”, said Chandrasekharan.
