The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Probe ordered into scholarship fraud

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Friday, Jun 26, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Probe ordered into scholarship fraud

Correspondent

Case registered against college correspondent

ATM cards of students tampered
The withdrawn amount seized

VIZIANAGARAM: Collector G. Ram Narayana Reddy on Thursday appointed District B.C. Welfare Officer to inquire into the misuse of scholarship amount of first year Intermediate students (2008-09) by the correspondent of Vasu Junior College, Bobbili. The college correspondent, Rowthu Vasu, had withdrawn Rs. 6,69,800 in separate spells by using ATM cards of 197 students during the summer vacation, said Deputy Director (Social Welfare) D.V. Ramana Murty.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Murty said the government had deposited Rs. 10,66,690 towards scholarships to 312 students who applied online for the same during the last academic year. There was a delay in supplying ATM cards to students. The cards were received at the end of the academic year and the correspondent kept them with him after collecting signatures of students that they received the cards. Later, he withdrew Rs. 6,69,800 with the help of school attendant during nights. Security guard of the ATM, who suspected a foul play, informed the same to his superiors. Meanwhile, Social Welfare Department officials as a routine verification on Wednesday visited the college and found to their surprise that the ATMs were tampered. On an enquiry with the bank it was noticed that the correspondent withdrew the scholarship amount. The entire amount was seized intact from the correspondent.

A case was registered against the correspondent.

Collector’s directive

Mr. Murty said that the Collector asked the inquiry officer to verify the amount withdrawn from the individual accounts of students. He also instructed the DD to issue new ATM cards with changed pin numbers to them.

The confiscated amount would be deposited in the nodal bank branch here, the DD said. Bobbili SDPO P. Mallikarjuna Rao, when contacted, said that action would be taken against the correspondent only after the inquiry into the financial fraud was completed.

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