Municipalities’ scam: Assets of Bengal ministers, municipal chiefs under ED lens
Personal assets of some ministers in the West Bengal Cabinet as well as chairmen and vice-chairmen of a number urban civic bodies are currently under scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore municipalities' recruitment scam in the state.
IANS
Oct 7, 2023 08:45
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Kolkata, Oct 7 (IANS) Personal assets of some ministers in the West Bengal Cabinet as well as chairmen and vice-chairmen of a number urban civic bodies are currently under scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore municipalities' recruitment scam in the state.
Also under lens are the assets and properties registered in the names of the relatives of these ministers and urban civic body heads and deputy-heads.
The ED will shortly summon them one-by-one and scrutinise the documents related to their properties and assets, especially the sources of funds.
According to ED insiders, that the nexus in the municipalities' recruitment scam is quite deep is evident from the fact that the Ayan Sil-owned ABS Infozone was the outsourced agent for all the 14-odd municipalities that are currently under the central agency's scanner for recruitment irregularities.
Sil is currently in judicial custody because of his alleged involvement in the multi-crore cash for school jobs case.
In fact, ED got first clues of the municipalities’ recruitment scam while raiding the residence of Sil in connection with the school jobs case.
“This proves how deep was the nexus and the contact levels of Sil in the corridors of powers,” an ED insider said.
On Thursday, ED had conducted raids at 12 locations in connection with the municipalities' recruitment scam, including the residence of state minister Rathin Ghosh, who is also the former Chairman of the Madhyamgram Municipality in North 24 Parganas district, one of the 14 urban civic bodies that are under the scanner of the central agencies in this case.
Through these raids, ED has reportedly been able to procure some crucial documents indicating the rate lists for recruitments in different posts in these urban civic bodies.
