Tough queries for auditor in Srijan case

Bhagalpur: The co-operative department has started departmental proceedings against the erstwhile district auditor, Krishna Kant Sharma, for his apparent failure to keep proper vigilance while conducting audit of Srijan Mahila Vikash Sahayog Samity. The Bhagalpur-based non-government organisation has been accused of defrauding the government of more than Rs 1,600 crore.

The CBI, which is investigating the Srijan scam, is all set to file chargesheets against the illegal withdrawal of government money from the special land acquisition department of Saharsa and the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), Bhagalpur, in Srijan-related cases.

The CBI also summoned two former branch managers of the Bhagalpur branch of Bank of Baroda to its headquarters at New Delhi to confirm the payments by the bank to Srijan from the accounts of different government departments at Bhagalpur.

Sources said the co-operative department initiated departmental proceedings against Sharma, presently posted in Siwan, and appointed joint registrar, Birendar Thakur, and assistant registrar, Shambhu Sen Kumar, as presiding officers in the case. Sharma, who was served showcause, has been asked to present his points within the next 15 days.

Sharma was alleged for overlooking gross irregularities committed by Srijan, a samity registered under the co-operative department during his tenure as Bhagalpur district auditor over four years, from May 5, 2005 to July 15, 2009. He was supposed to keep strict vigil while performing audits of Srijan though the NGO had transacted huge amounts.

Srijan transacted in crores but Sharma didn’t raised any objection through audits or informed the incidents to his higher officials.

The CBI has summoned two former branch managers of the Bank of Baroda, Bhagalpur, to confirmed the mode of transactions in Srijan’s account. A source disclosed that the manager duo would have to answer CBI queries on whether third party cheques, a valid process to transfer amount from one account to another account under the Negotiable Instruments Act, by which huge amounts were transferred from government department accounts to Srijan accounts time to time were exclusively for Srijan – one of the high-value customers of the branch, or the branch provided the same facility for any customer.

Courtesy: The Telegraph