Assam CM’s vigilance raids DIPR office for third day, seized several files

The CM’s vigilance team had seized several files from the DIPR office and grilled the director Ranjit Gogoi and few other officials of the office.

According to the reports, five officials of CM vigilance had raided the office in connection with Rs 31 crore scam under DIPR during the previous Congress led state government tenure.

The CM vigilance sleuths led by SP K Choudhury had grilled director Ranjit Gogoi at his office for several hours.

A top official of CM vigilance said that, the previous Congress government had allocated Rs 31 crore in budget for Vision Assam Mission Assam project to make publicity the government schemes.

Earlier, the sleuths of the CM’s vigilance had seized five trunks of files from the office in connection with the scam.

The vigilance official said that, Ranjit Gogoi had siphoned several crore of rupees in the name of a firm Nandita Creations, which firm was created in his wife’s name.

“Following the government directives, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations had called tender for publicity the government schemes, works by advertising in print and electronic media and showing hoardings in various locations. Out of 15 agencies, which participating in the tender process, only four agencies were awarded the works,” the top official said.

The top cop also said that, the works order awarded to Tatua agency for hoarding, Brahmaputra Television Network, Delta Publicity and Pradip Advertising for advertising in print and electronic media.

“Among the four agencies, alone Pradip Advertising was awarded Rs 10 crore work order. But the initial probe cleared that 90% fund was siphoned,” the official said.

“We have collected vital documents, which revealed irregularities and siphoning government money as the schemes implemented only in official paper works,” the official said.

Meanwhile an official of DIPR said that, the Vision Assam Mission Assam project was implemented only in papers and it was done just before the last assembly poll in the state.

On the other hand, the CM vigilance sleuth has prepared to grilled more persons including the owners of the four farms in connection with the scam.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath,Image: Google Maps)