After a loan scam in the Koraput Cooperative Bank rocked the State, another scam worth crores in the Odisha State Cooperative Bank’s (OSCB) Rourkela Branch has been detected during special audit, following which the Cooperation Department has directed for a probe into it.
The department has asked the State Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to investigate financial irregularities worth Rs 29.57 crore in the Rourkela Branch of the OSCB. Cooperation Minister Surjya Narayan Patro on Wednesday ordered the bank’s Registrar to initiate surcharge proceeding against all accused and directed the OSCB Managing Director to take legal action against the erring officials.
Sources said a Special Public Prosecutor would be appointed to start trial against the loan defaulters and legal process initiated soon to attach their properties.
The report of the special audit also recommended recovery of Rs 65,427, Rs 67.5 lakh and Rs 28.89 crore from three former Branch Managers Siba Kumar Das, Sanjeeb Mishra and Raghunath Sahoo. respectively for showing undue favour to the loanees. The irregularities occurred during the tenure of these three managers.