Haryana: officials strike gold in Pax hi-tech scam

The central government had devised a plan to uplift the 773 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (Pax) in Haryana through online and hi-tech means. These societies, comprising 622 Pax, 150 cooperative societies, and 1 AFCIC, serve the financial needs of around 3.06 lakh members, primarily in rural areas of Haryana. Under the Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP), these societies were provided loans to purchase computers, furniture, and other equipment for all Pax banks in the state.
However, the accused took advantage of the situation and embezzled a significant portion of the grant amount. In 2022, under the loan provided by ICDP, officials demanded and received solar systems, computer systems, CCTV cameras, internet modems, and software. Deputy Registrars and Assistant Deputy Registrars, involved in supplying the equipment, took hefty commissions from their respective agencies. In addition, all officials had solar systems, computer systems, and CCTV cameras installed in their homes, all provided free of charge by the agencies. The agencies, in turn, covered their expenses by presenting inflated bills to Pax, taking payments through checks.
This scandal has left Pax in financial distress, burdened by the loans they took for hi-tech upgrades.
As per information obtained from a Pax in Karnal, in 2022, the agency installed a solar system worth INR 4,96,442, a computer system worth INR 82,277, CCTV cameras worth INR 48,590, an internet modem worth INR 17,684, and software worth INR 72,216. This loot, involving massive bills, extended to other districts in the state, including Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar. Deputy Registrar Rohit Gupta of Karnal was arrested in connection with the scam, and luxurious LED gifts were found in his possession.
Moreover, Deputy Registrar Gupta had a solar system installed at his residence. The ACB has arrested Deputy Registrar Rohit Gupta and is actively searching for another accused in connection with the scam.
Deputy Registrars and Assistant Deputy Registrars manipulated racks in Kathal, Karnal, and other districts at fertilizer sales centers and Pax for storing bags of fertilizer. They awarded the contract for supplying racks to a relative running a shop dealing in seeds and fertilizers in Kathal. The relative, threatening Pax managers with complaints to the Directorate of Agriculture and the Agriculture Commissioner, collected advance payments by issuing checks in the name of D&R.
Subah Singh, the in-charge of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Kathal, stated that funds were sent by the central government to the Cooperative Department in Kathal to purchase computers and furniture for various Pax banks in the district.