Our Economic Bureau/

Many land oustees  had the privilege to enjoy government compensations against their lands for government projects at Bhagalpur, not for any nationalized banks but from Srijan bank!

Srijan Mahli bank was registered with Bihar state cooperative department only as a bank for SHGs of rural women with a credit limit of below Rs 50 thousand. But in practice,  apart from parking government funds, it started providing compensations etc to many like land oustees whose lands were acquired for different projects.

Payment to many land oustees whose lands were early required at Pirpainty block for the proposed 1340 Mw NTPC’s power plant, were done through Srijan’s account, clearly indicating the nefarious activities and the involvement of land acquisition office, Bhagalpur. In a normal course, such payment for compensations  are given directly through the land acquisition office by cheques. Sources from SIT which conducted initial investigation in the scam, revealed the fact.

Bank statement related to A/C No 10010100014403 , bank of Boroda enclosed with the FIR stated as fake bank statement reflects the payments of all the concerned persons (mostly land oustees of Pripainty power plant)  on different dates in the year 2014, the sources claimed.

SIT which earlier conducted investigations before CBI took over the cases , underlined  all payments to all these persons has been made through the bank account held with the bank of Boroda, Bhagalpur in the name of Srijan Mahila bank.

A land oustee at Pirpainty on condition of anonymity narrated how he received payment in 3-4 installments. “I need the money against the land which I given for the power project, so what is the need of knowing from where the money came? I received all the amounts at my bank  account with SBI branch at Pirpainty  through RTGS,” he said. (the copy of transaction is with The Telegraph). But what the person told is enough to understand the game played by Srijan : “we were told to give some percentage of commission for the land acquisition officer at Bhagalpur. Many of us gladly accept the proposal while many disagreed to give any commission from the money. We went Bhagalpur on the instruction of the persons concerned of  land acquisition department where we told that our payment would directly give to our respective accounts but before that we had to signed on a blank stamp paper (with stamp of Rs 100/-). Within a month the instalments were started coming our accounts but the said commission was detected from the amounts”.

The version of the person was clear to understand how and why the government money of land acquisition used to be diverted to Sirijan account. “Many compensations are still pending because the persons concerned (land oustees) refused to give bribe or protected against the disparity in paying compensations against lands acquisition,” said Munna Singh, a farmer from Pirpainty. Mitthu Kumar, another farmer there also alleged due to the dispute, the project has been lying defunct.

Similarly, special land acquisition department on June 10, 2014 issued a cheque containing amount Rs 17, 29, 17, 881 for payment but till date the amount has not been from the account of Zila Nazarat, Bhgalpur as per correct bank statement enclosed with the FIR. However as per the tempered bank statement enclosed with the FIR, the  said amount had been withdrawn from bank account held with bank of Boroda in the name of district magistrate, Bhagalpur.

Now the question is whether the payments of various schemes under different department were also made from the bank account of Srijan Mahila bank. RJD MP from Bhagalpur, Bullo Mandal alleged that before his tenure the MPLAD fund was parked with Srijan    and even the payment of the expenditure on schemes from the MPLAD funds were made through the bank account of the said bank.

Earlier, some students of government schools at Sabour block protested as they had to visit Srijan Mahila bank for taking their scholarship and other governmental adds. They alleged at that time that the  nationalize bank where they have their account, directed them to go to Srijan Mahila bank for collecting their amounts. Despite complains to officials concerned, noting was happened as the than official concerned at Sabour didn’t take any action.

The discloser of the scam was due to non-availability of fund in the government accounts, as funds were fraudulently transferred with the connivance of bank and Srijan NGO, observers pointed out.

“So initially the scam was understood a siphoning  of government money through fraudulent transfer. Now  it appears that the scam is not confined to parking of government money with Srijan bank but even payments of government schemes were also made through bank accounts of Srijan” the observers claimed.