Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police here arrested an Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) of the Agiryal cluster of Kondurg Mandal, Ranga Reddy district – Goreti Srisailam – for allegedly diverting government funds from the state’s Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu schemes.
The accused processed fake insurance claims and also diverted other funds meant for farmers to the tune of Rs 2 crore.
Both the schemes for farmers were introduced during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s period. The Rythu Bandhu scheme provides farmers an input subsidy of Rs 5000 per acre each season to land owning farmers. So if a person owns 2 acres of land, under the scheme he will be given Rs 10000 each for the Rabi and Kharif seasons.
The diversion of funds came to light after the District Agriculture Officer of Ranga Reddy District filed a complaint with the police, indicating suspicions regarding 20 Rythu Bhima claims related to the Agiryal cluster in Kondurg Mandal of Ranga Reddy district.
130 fake Pattadar claims under Rythu Bandhu
Upon verification of the complaint, it was discovered that Goreti Srisailam made 20 fraudulent claims amounting to Rs. 1 crore under the Rythu Bima Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) scheme. Additionally, he misappropriated the Rythu Bandhu funds, involving 130 fake pattadars and non-claimants, diverting funds of Rs. 1 crore from 2019 to the present.
Based on the complaint, the SHO of Kondurg PS registered a case and initiated an investigation. EOW officials have seized material objects and documentary evidence from the accused’s possession.
According to a press release from the Cyberabad police, the case is under investigation by A. Sreedhar, Inspector of Police, Economic Offences Wing, Cyberabad, under the supervision of K. Prasad, Dy. Commissioner of Police, EOW, Cyberabad.
