Port Blair, July 7: The Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray while talking to the media has charged Andaman & Nicobar Cooperative Bank for irregularities and misappropriation of govt. funds, meant for poor people. In his statement to the press, the MP said that the Andaman & Nicobar Administration has also given a warning to the Bank for this approach.
Sighting examples, Bishnu explained that in order to disburse Old Age/ Widow Pension etc. the A&N Administration had credited the amount to the State Bank of India and the A&N Cooperative Bank on the same day i.e. 13th June 2013. While the pension amount deposited in State Bank of India had been disbursed on the same day through its branches located in different parts of the islands, the A&N State Cooperative bank delayed the disbursement for more than a week. Payment through Coop. Bank was released to the beneficiaries only after 21st June 2013, and some beneficiaries received it by 25th June 2013, he said.
Charging the Cooperative bank management for in-transparency, the Member of Parliament stated that the bank recently has employed around 520 DRMs, without any employment notice. While the A&N Administration has been insisting on transparency in employment, the Coop. bank management decided on its on to employ children and relatives of politicians.
“I demand for a CBI enquiry in this regard, as there are thousands of well qualified youth in the islands who are running from pillar to post for job. The policy of ANSCB is unjustified and needs to be probed into”, added the MP.