An alleged swindling of funds worth several crore rupees in the name of purchases and other expenditure

An alleged swindling of funds worth several crore rupees in the name of purchases and other expenditure in Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA), as well as earning through unknown resources by Rupak Dey, chief wildlife warden, and the former chief project director of the said Agency, has came up for investigation before the lokayukt. 

Sources said that Dey was accused of misutilisation of funds worth about Rs 5 crore, spent through JICA, funded by Japan. The job of agency is to work on environment and wildlife, and a major project has been presently going on in chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s dream project, lion Safari in Etawah. Interestingly, the complainant also provided information of some properties and bank accounts of Dey, alleging that a probe into it would reveal that how the officer had earned amass wealth through unknown means.

Sources in the lokayukt confirmed that it was alleged that when Rupak Dey was chief project director of JICA in 2010-11, he had made many purchases like motorcycles, crockery, iron bars and grills, construction of guest houses, computer chips, cutting of trees in 30 hectare of forest land etc. The complainant claimed that several crore of rupees had been swindled in the above work by Dey and other officials. Sources further confirmed that lokayukt tried to enquire some charges like purchase of motorcycles, crockery etc and he learnt through the present chief project director that the bikes were purchased and distributed amongst several Departments working in the lion Safari but so far he failed to confirm that whom the two-wheelers were actually handed over. Similarly, the documents showed that a crockery of over Rs 30 lakh has been purchased and payment was shown made to popular brand `Hitkari’. However, when the crockery was verified, the lokayukt office found it to be in the name of a local company running from Chinhat in almost similar name in lucknow. Similarly, some other charges also raised some doubts following which lokayukt reportedly had summoned the officers concerned as well as the complainant to provide some more concrete leads so that the matter could be probed in-depth and necessary action could be initiated if anything was found against the laid norms. 

Meanwhile, lokayukt also reportedly sought details from Medical Council of India, whether the rules were violated to appoint Dr Sangeeta Aneja as principal of proposed medical college in Saharanpur. Sources said that a complaint has been made that state government overlooked the laid norms to facilitate Sangeeta Aneja principal of Medical College in Saharanpur. She was also working as professor in Meerut Medical College but had not completed five years term as professor which said to be mandatory for appointment of the post. 

Sources said that NK Mehrotra had sought a report in this regard from special secretary (Medical Education), JP Sharma, who reportedly replied that a temporary principal can be made without completing five years as professor. However, according to reports, Mehrotra, who had doubts had now seek a report from the MCI that whether the posting has been made as per the rules or norms were over looked by the government. It may be mentioned that Aneja’s husband is also working on two posts, one as Additional Director in Medical Education in lucknow and other as Head of Medicine Department in Meerut Medical College.