Massive misappropriation from CMDRF in Kerala unearthed

A massive misappropriation of funds from Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) has been detected by the state Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau in a statewide operation that began Wednesday.

Instances of well-placed NRIs getting medical assistance of up to Rs 3 lakh from CMDRF, widespread use of fictitious medical certificates and a nexus of agents and government officials involved in handling CMDRF applications were unearthed by the vigilance bureau. The quantum of amount siphoned off is being ascertained.

Vigilance director Manoj Abraham said it was an organised misappropriation that was found to be going on as the same group of agents, doctors and officials were found to be involved in the dubious applications for assistance from CMDRF. The vigilance would conduct field verifications to meet the dubious beneficiaries to identify all involved in it, he said.

Also Read | ED asks Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's close aide to appear on February 27

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement that there were complaints that ineligible people were getting assistance from CMDRF. Hence, the vigilance was asked to look into it. Stringent action would be taken against those who misappropriated the funds.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress alleged that many associated with the Left Front could be involved in the scam. The government did not take action against Left Front workers who earlier misappropriated flood and calamity relief funds, he said.

Vigilance sources said that while a well-placed NRI in Kochi received Rs 3 lakh as medical assistance from CMDRF, another ineligible NRI got an aid of Rs 45,000. Around 1,500 medical certificates were issued by a doctor in the Kollam district, and many of those were used along with the dubious applications seeking assistance.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the applicants’ phone numbers were found to be the same in different applications, which led to the suspicion of agents playing middlemen’s role and taking a commission. Instances of the same people obtaining medical assistance several times by citing different ailments and by submitting applications through different districts were also unearthed.