DVAC seizes unaccounted cash, gold coins, new silk sarees at DRDA Project Director’s office in Ranipet

Officials from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) seized a total of ₹ 25,850 unaccounted cash, two gold coins, and six new silk sarees from the office of Project Director (PD), District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), S. Saranya Devi, 36, at the Collectorate in Ranipet in the early hours of Saturday. 

DVAC sources said that taking advantage of the Pongal festival season, a large number of pending bills for works undertaken by DRDA were cleared by officials at the office for the past few weeks. The PD office of DRDA, which is located on the first floor of the Collectorate, also witnessed regular visitors with gift items ranging from silk sarees, household electrical items, gold coins, and silver objects, DVAC officials said.

A team of vigilance officials including S. Ganesh, DSP, DVAC (Ranipet) and DVAC’s Ranipet Inspector Vijayalakshmi, conducted a raid based on a tip-off received by an Inspection Cell Officer (DVAC).

DVAC officials said that residents have complained of irregularities including extra charge and commission for sanctioning works in rural areas including construction of free government houses for poor and public works like road laying and restoration of water bodies.

DVAC officials said that most of the payments and commissions were made through online mobile phone payments. DVAC officials seized 46 diaries from the office including from Executive Engineer (EE), DRDA, cabin and other sections. These diaries contain details of cash transactions for various sanctioned works, officials added.

As most of the complaints received by DVAC referred to online mode of payments, DVAC is also in process of verifying bank transactions of officials in the DRDA section. A probe is under way.