Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will conduct an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, into the alleged fraud in the implementation of the Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDC) in the state.
The ED has requested the Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation Ltd (TSSGDCPL), the implementing agency of the SRDC scheme, to provide details of district-wise beneficiaries. The probe agency also sought information on the bank accounts from which funds were disbursed by TSSGDCPL to district authorities and subsequently to the beneficiaries’ accounts.
Additionally, the ED requested details of the funds received from beneficiaries as their contribution to the scheme, including the bank accounts in which these funds were deposited. The agency also asked for district-wise details of the transport agencies selected for delivering sheep to beneficiaries, payments made to these agencies, and information about the vehicles used.
Further, the ED sought district-wise details of sheep feed procurement, supply to beneficiaries, payments made for procurement, and the list of vendors with their bank account information. The ED also requested any internal reports regarding fraud in the scheme’s implementation.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is already investigating the alleged sheep scam and has arrested former officials connected to the irregularities in the Sheep Distribution scheme during the previous BRS regime.
Sabavath Ramchander, Chief Executive Officer of Telangana State Livestock Development Agency, and Gundamaraju Kalyan Kumar, former OSD to the then Minister for Animal Husbandry Talasani Srinivas Yadav, were arrested for allegedly conspiring with private individuals and committing gross violations in their duties. The ACB stated that they violated procurement instructions and involved private persons in the process deliberately.
