Latest news with #DistrictMineralFund
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
DMF ‘scam': HC rejects bail to former Korba collector, ex-dy secy & accused
Raipur: The on Wednesday rejected the bail applications of the accused in the District Mineral Fund (DMF) scam. This includes former Korba district collector , , former deputy secretary to the then CM, NGO operator Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, and middleman Suryakant Single Bench of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas, after examining the FIR and case diary materials, indicated the commission of offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The court observed the apparent economic offences under the PC Act. Considering the records, the bench stated that the applicants' involvement in the alleged offences was evident, deeming it not a suitable case for granting regular bail. Consequently, all bail applications were prosecution's case rests on an ECIR dated 11 Jan 2024, concerning alleged corruption in the utilisation of DMF funds in Korba district. Investigations said that suppliers purportedly paid substantial commissions to the applicant for securing DMF ex-collector of Korba, along with other co-accused, allegedly siphoned off funds, with a purported 40% of the total tender amount paid as commission to officials. Vendor Sanjay Shende reportedly admitted to securing tenders worth approx Rs 120-130 crore and paying around Rs 20 crore as commission to the applicant through her brother Piyush Sahu. Ashok Kumar Agrawal stated that a 20% commission was paid to Ranu Sahu for tender allocations. Mukesh Kumar Agrawal also stated giving 15-20% of the tender amount, about Rs 5-6 crore, as commission to the former collector in exchange for tenders. Hrishabh Soni allegedly admitted to paying Rs 7 crore as a bribe to the applicant as commission. Manoj Dwivedi, also spoke of commission payments to the investigation revealed that the applicant allegedly collected illegal commissions exceeding Rs 55 crore solely from DMF-related tenders in Korba district. The prosecution argued that such large-scale accumulation of illicit funds could not occur without the active support, administrative backing, and undue political influence of the applicant, in collusion with Saumya Chaurasia. Consequently, an FIR was registered against the applicant for offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), read with Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC. The applicant's earlier bail plea was dismissed by the Special Judge (PMLA)/First Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur, leading to the present Chaurasia was described as a key beneficiary in a criminal conspiracy, allegedly directing subordinates and associates to demand a 40% commission from contractors involved in DMF-funded noted the applicants' silence in the bail petition regarding the source of income for the properties mentioned in the final report, indicating that the ACB/EOW collected certain material against them. The prosecution contended that the applicant actively participated in the syndicate, with the main accused Suryakant Tiwari allegedly acting under her instructions, and the extorted money was used to purchase court deemed the submission regarding prosecution sanction "misconceived" and stated it "deserves to be rejected."HC cited the SC's observations in the case of P. Chidambaram Vs. Directorate of Enforcement, emphasizing the grave nature of economic offences committed with deliberate design for personal profit, disregarding the community's interests and posing a serious threat to the country's financial health.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh HC rejects bail pleas in multi-crore DMF scam; former collector, ex-CM deputy secretary among accused
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail applications of the accused in the District Mineral Fund (DMF) scam, including former Korba District Collector Ranu Sahu , former Deputy Secretary to the then Chief Minister Saumya Chaurasia , NGO operator Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, and middleman Suryakant Tiwari. The Single Bench of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas, after examining the FIR and case diary materials, prima facie indicated the commission of offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act . The court observed the apparent economic offences under the PC Act. Considering the records, the bench stated that the applicants' involvement in the alleged offences was prima facie evident, deeming it not a suitable case for granting regular bail. Consequently, all bail applications were dismissed. The prosecution's case rests on an ECIR dated 11 January 2024, concerning alleged corruption in the utilisation of DMF funds in Korba district. Investigations, including statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA, 2002, revealed that suppliers purportedly paid substantial commissions to the applicant for securing DMF tenders. The former Collector of Korba, along with other co-accused, allegedly siphoned off funds, with a purported 40% of the total tender amount paid as commission to officials. Vendor Sanjay Shende reportedly admitted to securing tenders worth approximately Rs 120-130 crore and paying around Rs 20 crore as commission to the applicant through her brother Piyush Sahu. Ashok Kumar Agrawal stated that a 20% commission was paid to Ranu Sahu for tender allocations. Mukesh Kumar Agrawal also stated giving 15-20% of the tender amount, about Rs 5-6 crore, as commission to the former collector in exchange for tenders. Hrishabh Soni admitted to paying Rs 7 crore as bribe to the applicant as commission. Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, claiming to run an NGO, also spoke of commission payments to the applicant. The investigation revealed that the applicant allegedly collected illegal commissions exceeding Rs 55 crore solely from DMF-related tenders in Korba district. The prosecution argued that such large-scale accumulation of illicit funds could not have occurred without the active support, administrative backing, and undue political influence of the applicant, in collusion with Saumya Chaurasia, who held a significant position as Deputy Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office at the time. Her position allegedly enabled her to direct and facilitate tender processes, protect key conspirators, and ensure the smooth flow and concealment of illegal commissions. Consequently, an FIR was registered against the applicant for offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), read with Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC. The applicant's earlier bail plea was dismissed by the Special Judge (PMLA)/First Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur, leading to the present appeal. The applicant, while serving as Deputy Secretary in the then Chief Minister's office, allegedly misused her official position and administrative influence to facilitate and receive illegal commissions related to DMF tenders in Korba district. She was described as a key beneficiary in a criminal conspiracy, allegedly directing subordinates and associates to demand a 40% commission from contractors involved in DMF-funded projects. The High Court noted the applicants' silence in the bail petition regarding the source of income for the properties mentioned in the final report, indicating that the ACB/EOW had collected certain material against them. The prosecution contended that the applicant actively participated in the syndicate, with the main accused Suryakant Tiwari allegedly acting under her instructions, and the extorted money was used to purchase properties. The court deemed the submission regarding prosecution sanction "misconceived" and stated it "deserves to be rejected," citing the established legal position that prosecution sanction can be obtained during the trial. The High Court cited the Supreme Court's observations in the case of P. Chidambaram Vs. Directorate of Enforcement, emphasizing the grave nature of economic offences committed with deliberate design for personal profit, disregarding the community's interests and posing a serious threat to the country's financial health.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
CS asks officials to protect tribal rights during Nagada visit
1 2 Kendrapada: Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja on Monday visited the Nagada hillock in Jajpur district's mineral-rich Sukinda block to assess various development initiatives in the area that once made headlines for malnutrition 2016, Nagada, home to the primitive Juang tribe , drew national attention when 22 children died of malnutrition within three months. Since then, the state govt has implemented various welfare measures to transform it into a model tribal his visit, Ahuja interacted with local tribal residents and reviewed progress in healthcare, nutrition, infrastructure, and electrification projects. He directed officials to organise regular health awareness camps and encouraged tribal women to pursue livestock farming through the Subhadra Yojana scheme. "The govt has provided roads, water, solar lighting, and other essential facilities," Ahuja said. He announced plans to repair roads and install streetlights from Kaliapani to Nagada within a month, emphasising the govt's commitment to tribal development .However, local tribals raised concerns about the discontinued bus service to Nagada, which has affected their access to healthcare and other essential services since 2018. Responding to these concerns, Ahuja instructed the collector to allocate District Mineral Fund (DMF) resources to help tribal youths purchase auto-rickshaws and restore the bus also directed officials to protect tribal interests under the Forest Right Act and ensure proper implementation of welfare schemes. He ordered the construction of water preservation ponds to ensure availability of water throughout the year.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
District Collector outlines multi-crore development plans for Chirala constituency
Bapatla District Collector J. Venkata Murali on Monday (April 21) directed officials to expedite developmental activities across Chirala constituency and transform its beaches into thriving tourist destinations. At a review meeting with district-level officials held at the Chirala Municipal Office, the Collector emphasized the need for swift execution of works and he later inspected the local crematorium. He announced that ₹10 crore would be utilized under the Jal Jeevan Mission to address Chirala's drinking water issue permanently, while another ₹60 lakh has been sanctioned through RWS for rural drinking water supply. Repairs to five lift irrigation schemes and development works worth ₹8.25 crore under the MGNREGA scheme are also underway, with an additional expenditure of ₹1.75 crore planned. To enhance tourism, the Collector said ₹2 crore from District Mineral Fund (DMF) and another ₹2 crore from various schemes would be spent on beach development. Plans include a ₹150 crore fishing harbour, improved sewage systems with an outlay of ₹1.5 crore, and bio-toilets at Vadarevu and Ramapuram beaches. Chirala MLA M. Mala Kondaiah raised concerns about drainage, encroachments of crematorium and graveyard, usurious lending, poor roads, and power interruptions. He sought new canals, housing for the poor, and construction of handloom parks and sub-stations. Plans to train 3,000 women in tailoring are also in progress.
