For funds under any state-run scheme, bank a/c validation made mandatory

MP, 16 Nov 2024, Kolkata: Taking a cue from the incidents in which government funds sent to bank accounts of students for purchasing tabs or mobile phones were diverted elsewhere, the State government has decided to send funds to the beneficiaries of various social security schemes like Kanyashree, Rupashree, Joy Jawahar, Taruner Swapna only after validating the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. 

State finance department officials along with banks will carry out the validations before sending funds to the individual accounts. The state government has decided to examine the names of the beneficiaries and their bank account details before sending funds under any social security schemes that are run by the Bengal government. 

The government machinery will also check if the beneficiaries, who have enrolled to avail of services, have a bank account. Finance department officials with the help of the banks will carry out a thorough examination before sending the funds to the individual back accounts through the state treasury. 

Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant has already sent some directives to the concerned departments. The funds sent to the beneficiaries of various schemes are diverted through the state treasury. 

The responsibility for uploading the information of students applying for tablets primarily rested with the heads of the institutions. 

There may be some changes as the students will have to upload their details. More than 1,500 complaints have been lodged in connection with the frauds related to the tab scheme. The state Education department that has received many complaints may follow the model of payment of Lakshmir Bhandar scheme for disbursement of money under Taruner Swapna from next year to make funds transfer foolproof. 

The department has received suggestions of using the Aadhaar card as a payment link for providing financial assistance of Rs 10,000 under the scheme to students of Class XI and XII for purchasing tablets, smartphones or PCs. 

The Bengal government had transferred Rs 10,000 to the bank accounts of each higher secondary and class X students of government schools to purchase a tablet or mobile but several of them did not receive the money due to alleged malpractices. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, announced that her government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate a fraud involving the diversion of government funds meant for students to purchase tablets or mobile phones. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tribal-dev-budget-increased-to-over-rs-1500-cr-from-rs-160-cr-in-last-13-yrs-cm-587055?infinitescroll=1