Netas including some more known political faces from the ruling Trinamool Congress were a worried lot after the Income Tax Department had started zeroing in on some chosen Jan Dhan accounts in Bengal, sources said.
A large number of politicians had reportedly summoned people engaged in 100-days work to warn them against spilling the beans sources said even as the I-T Department started bringing under the scanner quite a few accents in Kolkata, Midnapore, Birbhum and other such places.
“I had deposited Rs2.9 lakh in two days. I was told that I will be given Rs25,000 out of this,” said Rakesh (not his real name) a labourer engaged in 100-days work in North Kolkata. Now the councillor says he will give me half of the amount if I kept mum. He also warned me against opening my mouth. I am sending my children away to Jharkhand from where I belong.”
Rakesh is not the only one who was in problem there were many others who were contacting Income Tax lawyers for a way out sources said.
Kolkata, Howrah, Birbhum or Midnapore were not the only districts which were under scanner. Rather these were the districts where the Jan Dhan accounts were being examined for now. “Other districts could come in subsequently,” sources said adding those who had cleared their municipal dues with large amounts were also likely to be summoned for questioning.
According to sources notwithstanding its low industrial activities Bengal was among the topmost States to have recorded maximum deposits in the Jan Dhan accounts that had leapt to more than Rs74,000 crore.
Incidentally Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised maximum hue and cry against the demonetisation drive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while her critics said, “the one single drive had blocked her party’s entire ill-gotten money which it might use in ensuing panchayat elections.”
Meanwhile, the police on Sunday recovered hundreds of old Rs1,000 notes from up market Rajarhaat new Town locality. The notes were stuffed in bags and were torn into pieces, locals said. Rajarhaat New Town is incidentally known as the corner stone of the notorious Syndicate Raj of Bengal that underscores builder-politician-criminal nexus.