KAILASHAHAR, June 23 (TIWN): In a recent discovery of corruption in Tripura, latest addition is Animal Resource Development Department(ARDD),Unakoti district where a scam of Rs-70 lakhs came to light as soon as the newly appointed DM M.K.Nath took charge. It is alleged that completely violating the govt rule, irregularities happened during the tenure of DM Unakoti Abhisekh Chandra and Director ARDD Dr Dharmeswar Das. The situation became such serious that, an emergency meeting is learnt to have been called by the Principal Secretary of ARDD Dr V K Bahuguna in his office on Tuesday morning. The ARDD Minister Aghore Debbarma and Director ARDD Dr Dharmeswar Das too are learnt to be attending the meeting.

According to a top level TIWN sources in the ARDD,  it is learnt that when Abhisekh Chandra was the DM & Collector of Unakoti District, then he allocated a fund amounting Rs 60 lakh on 29th January 2014 and again on 8th April a fund amounting Rs 10 lakh was also issued to the ARDD, Unakoti District in order to purchase High Yield Cows under Diary Project Scheme. According to the laws of the ARDD such funds are supposed to be received by the Deputy Director ARDD Dr Samarendra Das( the legal implementing officer of the scheme). But mysteriously without allotting the funds to the Deputy Director , the then DM Abhisekh Chandra appointed the Assistant Director ARDD Dr Sanjib Sinha as the implementing officer  and Dr Samiran Sinha(In charge of Kailasahar Veterinary Hospital ) as the allied Officer. Soon Deputy Director Dr Samarendra Das requested the DM to look into the matter as the allocation of funds is not as per rules. But Abhisekh Chandra did not pay heed to such request. Rather he issued another cheque of Rs-40 lakhs( Cheque no-587331) on 15/05/2014( just before his transfer from Unakoti). The series of incidents took a new turn when M K Nath joined as DM Unakoti.

Soon after his joining DM ordered an enquiry and it has been found:-

1) Dr Sanjib Sinha and his Allied Officer Dr Samiran Sinha purchased 59 high yield cows( giving huge quantity of milk approximately 15-20 litres each  per day) @ Rs- 1.25 lakh from Mysore, Karnataka.

2) As per rules any purchase amounting to more than Rs-50 lakhs must be done after taking the permission from the High Purchaser Committee(HPC) and Chief Secretary is the Chairman of the HPC. But in this case no such permission was sought.

3) The two officials namely Dr Sanjib Sinha and Dr Samiran Sinha made the purchase themselves without even forming a committee.

4) Till date the utilization certificates of Rs. 70 lakh have not been submitted by these two officials, coincidently they are relatives of the MLA Birjit Sinha.

5) The 59 cows were distributed to BPL families, who don't possess the wealth to provide fodder and scientific accommodation to such cows.

6) As a result of it 8 full grown cows, 10 young cows(Damri) and 8 calves died already. 15 more cows are almost dying.

Immediately new DM M.K.Nath called Deputy Director Dr Samarendra Das in his office,   had an important meeting. After this an order was issued from the DM Unakoti Office saying, "...Deputy Director Samarendra Das personally spoke with the DM & Collector, Unakoti District on 02/06/2014  and series of discussion about the scheme held with him in his chamber. After hearing everything,   -  the present DM & Collector has instructed the Deputy Director, ARDD not to encash the afforesaid cheque until further order from his end..."

    Now the question arises why the then DM Abhisekh Chandra allocated the fund to Dr Sanjib Sinha and Dr Samir Sinha violating the rules? Who will take action against these officials for not submitting the utilization certificates? Why were these cows distributed to those BPL families who don't possess minimum facilities of fodder and accommodation to such cows? And even in this case without taking any action against the guilty officials, Director of ARDD Dr Dharmeswar Das transferred Deputy Director Dr Samarendra Das to the Pigs Breeding Centre of Nalkata by a single order.

     According to TIWN sources it is learnt that Director Dr Dharmeswar Das held a closed door party with Dr Sanjib Sinha and Dr Samir Sinha in Bhangmun only a day before the issuing of this transfer order. Interestingly ARDD has no office in Bhangmun. The sources add that in that party,  the decision to transfer the Deputy Director was taken simply to subdue these irregularities in funds. However the sources further infirmed that on Tuesday morning Principal Secretary has invited a meeting in his chamber in this issue. But it also learnt that the Principal Secretary Dr V K Bahuguna is under tremendius pressure to cancel the scheduled meeting. The silence of the ARDD Minister Aghore Debbarma adds to the doubt.  

Fund release Details: