By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, July 9, 2019: A team of RTI activists on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Odisha Lokayukta demanding a detailed probe into the alleged scam to the tune of over Rs 600 crore in Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB).

Quoting NABARD’s findings of anomalies in the crop loan interest subvention claims made in the last 5 years by OSCB, the activists claimed that the Bank failed to adhere to the guidelines and claimed excess interest subvention of Rs 168 crore in 2016-17 which it received from Government of India and Odisha government through NABARD.

The RTI activists further alleged that additional interest subvention claims were made and received from government of India through NABARD against the claims for the year 2016-17. On scrutiny of the interest subvention claims made by bank, NABARD observed that OSCB had made an excess claim and received subvention of Rs 56 crore in 2016-17. OSCB fraudulently lodged its cost-cum-interest subvention claims with government of Odisha and received the same for the financial year. The total excess claim received from Odisha government stood at Rs 112 crore for 2016-17 financial year, the RTI activists alleged.

Moreover, ex- MD of OSCB, Tusharkanti Panda fraudulently showed excess interest subvention claims from Government of India and Odisha government to the tune of Rs 600 crore for the period between 2012-13 and 2016-17, which the NABARD has already mentioned in its inspection report, said RTI activist, Pradip Pradhan.

“There have been gross financial irregularities and a scam of Rs 600 crore in OSCB for which we have lodged a complaint with Lokayukta,” said Pradhan.

Apart from illegal interest subvention, there have been other financial irregularities in OSCB in printing of RuPay cards for farmers, procurement of computers and others, Pradhan added.

Responding to the allegations, former OSCB MD Tusharkanti Panda said that the first inspection report of NABARD is wrong. Showing the second report, Panda described the allegations levelled against him as baseless.