Rs. 187 crore scam in Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.

Mysore/Mysuru: BJP OBC Morcha State President R. Raghu Kautilya has demanded that the Congress State Government immediately issue a white paper on the financial status of various Corporations and Boards following a massive scam in which Rs. 187 crore was misappropriated in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited.

He criticised the Government for draining its coffers to implement vote bank-based schemes while sidelining development works. Raghu highlighted that the misappropriation of funds from Government Corporations to rig elections in favour of Congress has come to light through the Valmiki Corporation case.

“The accounts of the Ambedkar Development Corporation, Karnataka Adi Jambava Development Corporation, D. Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation, and other backward classes development Corporations and Boards receiving Government grants are yet to be verified,” Raghu Kautilya said.

He emphasised that the scam in the Valmiki Development Corporation came to light after the suicide of the Corporation’s Accounts Superintendent Chandrasekaran, raising the possibility of similar cases of misappropriation in other Corporations.

Raghu Kautilya insisted that the State Government must provide transparent information on financial management by issuing a white paper on the financial status of all Corporations and grant-in-aid Boards immediately.

“Having served as the Chairman of the D. Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation, I learned that after Government grants are released to Corporations, the unutilised funds and the reimbursements by beneficiaries who had availed loan assistance are deposited in the Corporation’s accounts. I am aware that thousands of crores of rupees are deposited in the accounts of many Corporations,” Raghu Kautilya stated.

He observed that the Finance Department has been strategic in regulating and providing information about these deposits.

“In this context, the misuse of funds from the Valmiki Development Corporation occurred due to the Finance Department turning a blind eye. If the Government urgently publishes the details of the bank accounts of these Corporations and Boards, more scams are likely to be exposed,” he added.