Odishatv Bureau
Kendrapara: Launching a crackdown on Rs 63 lakh Reimbursement Cost of Medicine (RCM) Scheme scam, the district administration of Kendrapara has placed two government employees under suspension in connection with the alleged fraud.
 
Teachers of government-run primary schools had faked illness and had deceitfully pocketed an estimated Rs 63 lakh from government coffer in the district.
 
"A junior clerk and a teacher of a government-run primary school have been placed under suspension in connection with the fraud. Besides Pattamundai Block Development Officer, Sub-treasury officer and medical officer, Pattmundai sub divisional officer have been found guilty as an inquiry has found prima-facie of their nexus in the scam, said Kendrapara District Collector, Niranjan Nayak.
 
As per rule-15 of Orissa civil service rules, 1952, the accused officials have been served show cause notices.
 
Penal action would be initiated against them as their complicity in the fraud led to the loss of state exchequer, the Collector .
 
Submitting forged records, the accused teachers from school and mass education department had grabbed reimbursement cost of medicine while making false claim of sickness.
 
As per the governmental provisions, employees afflicted with critical illness are extended financial assistance under RCM.
 
As many as 33 teachers have been found guilty of perpetrating acts of omission and commission to reap benefits of the government scheme by producing forged documents in support of their sickness, inquiry revealed.
 
Inquiry has found prima facie of availing of RCM benefits by way of dishonest practice. The doctors of government-run hospitals and drugs and chemist shop owners had also played a role in it, said officials.
 
"Acting on allegation petitions, the matter was inquired into. Findings of the inquiry have come across corroborative evidence of false and fake claim by 33 primary school teachers," said Kendrapara Sub Collector, Pratap Chandra Mishra.
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