Driver forges documents to avail BPL benefits

PUDUCHERRY: Even as the Anti-corruption and Vigilance wing is inquiring into allegations  of government employees availing the benefits of Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Housing scheme for BPL families, the CID wing of the police has booked a case against a government driver on charges of drawing housing subsidy through forged documents.Based on a complaint by Assistant Engineer of Slum Clearance Board (SCB), the CID registered a case against Kaliamurthy alias Segar, serving in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The driver, hailing from Nettapakkam, allegedly prepared a fake income certificate by forging the signature of the Tahsildar of Bahour Taluk and produced it before the SCB to avail the subsidy of `40,000 (first instalment) on February 11, 2011.  The matter came to light when documents obtained through RTI proved he had availed the subsidy. The persons who filed the plea questioned the SCB on how he had been provided with the subsidy.  A departmental enquiry with the Revenue Department revealed that there was no Tahsildar in the name of Rajendran, as forged by the driver. The driver was asked to refund `40,000 he had availed with interest, which he did. Subsequently the case has been referred to CID.Around 15 such cases are being inquired by the Anti-corruption and Vigilance wing based on a complaint by Makkal Vazharoorumai Iyakkam to the Chief Secretary, who is also the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Union Territory. The report is likely to be presented by the CID in a weeks time and Chief Minister N Rangasamy has assured action if the allegations are found true.This kind of misuse is not confined to government employees alone. The SCB has also detected another case where the beneficiary had availed the benefits of the scheme twice in 2007 and 2009 by producing different documents.  Loknayagi has availed `50,000 under the scheme and thereafter when the subsidy was enhanced to one lakh, she again availed the benefits. She was also asked to refund `1 lakh with interest which she did, said SCB Superintending Engineer Sathiyamurthy.