Santchand/Sabroom, January 10 (TIWN): When the Rs 50 crore MGNREGA scam is yet to be resolved, another massive loot in MGNREGA was unearthed in Santchand Block in Sabroom under MGNREGA as the Programme Officer of MGNREGA in 39 Panchayats under MGNREGA was arrested by the police and send to three days of jail custody. At midnight on Thursday Programme Officer of MGNREGA of 39 Panchayats under Santchand R D Block Arjun Das was trying to escape from his quarter when the police arrested him. It was around 12.15am then. Yesterday when ManuBazar police produced the accused Programme Officer Arjun Das before the Belonia District Court, he was sent to three days of jail custody.

 It is learnt that Arjun Das confessed his guilt before the police and even told that the lion's share of the looted amount is deposited in the SBI A/C kept TLA Branch, Agartala . Earlier an FIR was lodged against the Programme Officer Arjun Das for his alleged involvement in the massive looting of MGNREGA and various other Centrally Sponsored funds. Since then he was absconding .

        According to TIWN source," Arjun Das is in charge of Programme Officer(IO) of MGNREGA work of 39 Panchayats under Santchand R D Block and taking the advantage of it Arjun Das started looting massive fund from the very beginning. An official told TIWN," Even in this case the amount looted is not less than Rs 3 crore. And more interestingly BDO Santchand Block Goutam Choudhury's role too cannot be ignored. " Even during the interrogation Arjun Das is learnt to have said that BDO Goutam Chowdhury knows all about the scam.

       It is to be mentioned here that only a three days before R D Minister made a shameless attempt through a Press Meet to protect the scamstars saying that except Bishalgarh Block, there is not a single instance of corruption in Tripura. A top level official in the State Secretariat told TIWN over phone ," Incidents like these are now common simply due to the seemingly weak role played by the state govt. When the Minister of the concerning department comes out to protect the guilties, what more can you expect from this corrupt govt?" The Official also said that BDO Goutam Chowdhury is also to blame. His role from the very beginning was under question. Even when he was in Pecharthal Block, allegations were raised against him for being suspicious. Mysteriously the Clean and Honest(?) Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's govt did not take any step against him. If Bimal Chakraborty is a Guru of corruption, Goutam Chowdhury is a suitable disciple of him.