THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the building number fraud, the internal audit team of the city corporation has unearthed another fresh scam involving the grant provided to the SC (Scheduled Caste) beneficiaries in the civic body.Mayor S Arya Rajendran said in a press conference that the fraud was committed by forging the community certificates. Arya said that she has filed a complaint with the Museum police demanding a comprehensive investigation.
According to the mayor, financial assistance is provided to the SC groups through the industries department to start business ventures. A group of five members will be granted `3 lakh. While verifying 17 groups out of the 33 beneficiaries, the internal audit team found that many of the members who applied for the grant do not belong to the SC community. The fraudsters managed to swindle the money by using fake caste certificates.
A total of `1.26 crore was deposited in a single bank account in the Pattom Cooperative Bank this way. The industrial extension officer is responsible for examining the applications received in this regard. However, the officer who was in charge when the fraud took place has been transferred. The details of the fraud, role of the bank and the involvement of the officer will become clear only after further investigation.
A similar case of swindling of the SC fund detected by the corporation a year ago is being investigated by the vigilance, the mayor said. She also said that the police have informed her that they will decide on the basis of legal advice whether to register a new case. Meanwhile, Arya informed media about the ‘Corporation to People’ campaign which will start from August 3. During the campaign, the public can submit all kinds of complaints related to the corporation.
