Govt employee held in Malda for taking cut money

Kolkata: A government employee from Manickchawk block in Malda was arrested on Saturday for his alleged role in misappropriating funds which were channelised for the government schemes.

The incident has already triggered a furor in the district. The misappropriation had allegedly been carried out by the accused when he was posted at Ratua block of the same district.

It may be mentioned here that a Trinamool Congress leader from Malda's Ratua was arrested on Wednesday for receiving cut money. It had been alleged that the arrested officer might have worked in collusion with the Trinamool Congress leader, who used to serve as Panchayat head at the time of the incident. It was alleged that the accused government employee has misappropriated huge amounts of funds.

Police in various districts have acted promptly after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued an instruction saying that none of her party workers will be spared if they have grabbed public money.

Giving a strong message against the age-old practice of receiving cut money from government funds, Banerjee, during a recent meeting with councilors, said that if any party leader in any level is found siphoning off money generated for the development works, stringent action would be taken against him/her.

The accused Trinamool Congress leader, Sukesh Yadav, also allegedly received huge amounts as cut money. He had been the head of Mahanandatola Gram Panchayat in Ratua.

It has been learnt that Yadav was accused of taking money from the funds allocated for Nirmal Bangla Mission, under which the arrested government employee had been working.

Chaos also erupted at Mangolkot in East Burdwan on Sunday, after some people alleged that some local Trinamool Congress activists had taken money against some assurances to set up houses for them.

A meeting had taken place, where the accused TMC activists put the blame on a local party leader who eventually denied the allegation during his interview with a local television channel later.