Multi-crore-rupee scam in the name of skill training!

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Crores of government fund have been allegedly misappropriated in the name of providing skill training to labourers under various schemes launched by the State Labour Department. One of the accused in this scam, Alok Sarkar, was today grilled by Dispur Police. An FIR had been lodged at Dispur Police Station by many victims regarding the fund misappropriation, and on the basis of this FIR, police registered a case (120 (B)/420/406/468/IP).

According to police sources, Sarkar was allowed to go after the questioning. But the police have asked him to submit some documents related to the skill development training.

The FIR alleged that Alok Sarkar and Amarjyoti Khanikar raked in government funds to the tune of several crores in the name of skill development training. Sources said that some officials of the Labour Department are also involved in this scam. During 2016-17, the Labour Department launched a scheme to provide skill development training to labourers in the unorganized sector. The government had floated a tender and both the accused won the tender. They set up skill development training centres in various places of the State.

As per rule, the labourers who underwent the training should have been given the minimum daily wage approved by the State Government, along with the transportation cost. The training was supposed to be for 60 days. However, it was alleged that Alok Sarkar and Amarjyoti Khanikar did not provide training for the complete 60 days and they also did not pay the approved daily wages to the labourers. Besides, the training centres must keep a tab on where the trainees have been employed. The training centres set up by Sarkar and Khanikar did not do this. Moreover, the accused allegedly produced false bills showing more than the actual number of labourers who had undergone training.

Today when Sarkar was being interrogated at Dispur Police Station, many of the victim labourers gathered at the police station premises and aired their allegations.

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