Central Registrar Mr R K Tiwary has virtually lobbed a bombshell by sending recovery order to Chairman and several directors of NAFED in Rupees 4000 thousand crore tie-up scam. Some of the names of present and former Directors whom recovery notices have been served with are Mr Bijender Singh, present Chairman, Mr C V Holkar, present Director, Shri Niwas Gauda,former Director,Nagar Dalli, former Director,Mr Makker former Director from Punjab. There are two former ministers from Karnataka in the list.
There are 29 officials of Nafed also in the list who have been served with recovery notices.
Talking to Indiancooperative.com Congress MLA and senior cooperative leader Bijender Singh confirmed the receipt of the letter. “Order is at best vague and I have been asked to deposit one percent of 30 percent”, said Mr Singh. Bijender was not able to make much out of it but Ministry sources put the figure around Rs12 crores.
Vishal Singh, son of former Chairman Ajit Singh during whose tenure the scam took place has reportedly been served with a notice of depositing about Rs 65 crores. Talking to Indiancooperative.com Vishal denied receiving any letter from Central Registrar so far and argued that he was a minor when the whole scam unfolded. Vishal later was elected to the Board of NAFED.
Ajit Singh’s mother and wife of cooperative doyen Tapeshwar Singh Indu Devi has been exonerated of all charges given her severance of relation with Ajit Singh in 2004 after he joined JDU. The court of Central Registrar ruled that Indu Devi has not acquired any movable or unmovable properties since the scam broke out.
Homi Rajvansh, the then additional MD has reportedly been served with notice of depositing Rs 132 crores. The list includes many big names and its release has created quite a flutter in political circle.
People are wondering as to how did an easy going Central Registrar issue earth shattering order? Ministry sources confirm that it was the steely decision of Secretary Basu who prevailed not only on Tiwary but also on Minister Sharad Pawar to take stern action against the guilty.
Political circles are abuzz with some gunning for transfer of Central Registrar too. Leaders cutting across party lines, it is said, have risen up against the order with murmurs emanating from AICC also.
Nafed scam is being investigated by Central Bureau of Investigation also and the Agency has arrested Homi Rajvansh and a few private contractors earlier.
Earlier high profile former Lokayukta of Karnataka Santosh Hegde had recommended that the State government should request Centre to take action against NAFED in the case of llegal mining.
In a Chapter titled ‘Illegal export by NAFED’, Santosh Hegde has said that NAFED has been involved in dubious transactions and transport of iron ore to various ports.
Readers may recall that the business committee of Nafed in 2003-4 entered into tie up business with many private parties leading to huge loss to Nafed. Top officials with their “notorious tie-ups” with some private businesses allegedly made Nafed extend counter guarantees on loans taken by them without any security, with the connivance of a few board members.