Banks told to open their branches, ATMs in Mission Antyodaya villages
Dakshina Kannada district banks progress review
Mangaluru, June 26: Zilla Panchayat Project Director Lokesh directed all the bankers of the district to open either their branches or ATMs in 97 villages selected in the district under Mission Antyodaya Scheme of the Central Government.
Speaking at a progress review meeting of the district banks at ZP hall here on Tuesday, he said that in order to provide basic infrastructure on the lines of Adarsh Gram Yojana of the Central government, total 97 villages were selected under the Mission Antyodaya Scheme. Among 97 villages, 39 villages do not have ATMs and 22 villages do not have bank branches. So, banks should come forward to open either branches or ATMs, he said.
District Lead Bank Manager Francis said that the district has total 649 bank branches with Rs 41,762.23 crore deposits. By March 2018, those banks transacted Rs 65,680.11 crore, he added.
Don’t deny loans under MUDRA: MP
Presiding over the meeting, Lok Sabha Member Nalin Kumar Kateel, who got the details on loans disbursed under Prime Minister Mudra scheme by various banks, said that he got the complaints that the banks were not encouraging the beneficiaries under Mudra scheme. Moreover, the common people were finding it difficult to transact with the banks due to lack of Kannada speaking employees, he said.
Syndicate, SBI and Karnataka Banks should increase their progress in terms of disbursing loans under Mudra scheme. The banks should not deny loans under Mudra scheme for any reasons. Except minor irrigation, the banks could give loans for agriculture loan under Mudra scheme. Banks should take steps to give housing loans under Prime Minister Awas Yojana, he said.
RBI AGM PK Patnaik, NABARD AGM Ramesh, Syndicate Bank regional manager Thimmaiah were present at the meeting.
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Prez nod for FIR against AAP's Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain in Rs 2,000-cr classroom 'scam'
New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools, sources said.
In 2022, the Delhi government's vigilance directorate recommended a probe into the alleged scam and submitted a report to the chief secretary.
The President has given her approval for registering the FIR against Sisodia and Jain in connection with the alleged scam during their tenures as ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, the sources said.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), in a report dated February 17, 2020, highlighted "glaring irregularities" in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act that pertains to "enquiry or inquiry or investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by public servant in discharge of official functions or duties".
Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of carrying out a witch-hunt against its political rivals.
The BJP has no interest or intention to fulfil the promises it made to the people of Delhi. Its only agenda is to carry out a witch-hunt against its political rivals to stifle the voice of people, the former minister said in a statement.
The BJP-led central government has already decided to prosecute every political adversary of the party and grant approvals to move the case forward but it should wait for the judicial process to begin, he said.
In July 2019, BJP leader Harish Khurana and then AAP rebel MLA Kapil Mishra, now a minister in the Delhi government, lodged a police complaint about the alleged scam.
According to a report prepared by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government, the complainants alleged that there was a scam worth over Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms and school buildings in Delhi. The work was done at a highly inflated cost by the Delhi government.
The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms.
The ACB report said the total expenditure incurred for constructing the classrooms and school buildings was around Rs 2,892.65 crore. They were allegedly constructed at the rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas it was common knowledge that the average construction cost (even for a builder of flats) was around Rs 1,500 per square feet.
The total cost for constructing a classroom and school building, according to the tender awarded, was allegedly around Rs 24.86 lakh per room, whereas such rooms are easily constructed in Delhi at around Rs 5 lakh per room, it said.
The prices were increased almost five times to defraud the taxpayer by siphoning off money from the public exchequer in the garb of construction cost, the report said.
Even for a 5-star hotel, top ultra-luxury quality construction is around Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per square feet, it said.
The complainants submitted a copy of documents in which information received under the RTI Act in respect of the construction of 18 classrooms in the Govt Girls Senior Secondary School, Nathupura, Burari (school ID:-1207111) revealed that they were constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the ACB report said.
