Bhubaneswar: EOW The state crime branch on Friday arrested a Balasore-based businessman for allegedly embezzling government subsidy of around Rs 6 crore on the pretext of selling agricultural machinery and equipment to farmers.
identity of the accused Shrinath Rana (48). Rana, who worked as the regional manager of Varushapriya Agrotech Private LimitedA Bangalore-based company had misused the firm’s login ID and password to misappropriate the subsidy amount.
Company having branch office in baramunda The area here had lodged a complaint with the Bharatpur police station in January this year. The EOW took over the investigation from the Bharatpur Police on Wednesday.
Varushapriya Agrotech is an authorized supplier of paddy transplantation to farmers across the country and also provides various services to the Government of Odisha under various subsidized schemes. During his tenure as Regional Manager in the company in 2018-2020, Rana The State Agriculture Department was entrusted with the task of registering the sale of agricultural machinery by visiting the website www.agrisnetodisha.ori.nic.in and providing subsidy facility to the beneficiaries/farmers.
The cost of each paddy transplant was then between Rs 2.33 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. The government was giving subsidy between Rs 93,320 to Rs 1.50 lakh on each machine.
As per the procedure, the farmers will first buy the agricultural machinery from the authorized dealer. The dealer would then upload the sale details along with the photographs of the beneficiaries on the government website, after which the government would transfer the subsidy amount to the bank accounts of the farmers.
“During investigation, it was found that between 2017 and 2021, Rana, owner of M/s Tarini Auto Agency in Balasore, uploaded fake sales details of over 500 paddy transplanters with fake engine and chassis numbers. They had also uploaded the names and photographs of fake beneficiaries of 18 districts on the government’s Direct Benefit Transfer portal,” Additional Director General of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev panda said.
Subsequently, the government had released a subsidy amount of about Rs.6 crore in favor of the farmers. The subsidy has been deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers.
Rana had conspired with the poor farmers and paid them some thousands of rupees before withdrawing the subsidy amount from their accounts. “Rana had snatched the government subsidy without selling or buying any farm equipment,” Panda said. Though the farmers were benefitted illegally, the EOW did not arrest them as they were lured by the Rana, who paid them a few thousand rupees.
identity of the accused Shrinath Rana (48). Rana, who worked as the regional manager of Varushapriya Agrotech Private LimitedA Bangalore-based company had misused the firm’s login ID and password to misappropriate the subsidy amount.
Company having branch office in baramunda The area here had lodged a complaint with the Bharatpur police station in January this year. The EOW took over the investigation from the Bharatpur Police on Wednesday.
Varushapriya Agrotech is an authorized supplier of paddy transplantation to farmers across the country and also provides various services to the Government of Odisha under various subsidized schemes. During his tenure as Regional Manager in the company in 2018-2020, Rana The State Agriculture Department was entrusted with the task of registering the sale of agricultural machinery by visiting the website www.agrisnetodisha.ori.nic.in and providing subsidy facility to the beneficiaries/farmers.
The cost of each paddy transplant was then between Rs 2.33 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. The government was giving subsidy between Rs 93,320 to Rs 1.50 lakh on each machine.
As per the procedure, the farmers will first buy the agricultural machinery from the authorized dealer. The dealer would then upload the sale details along with the photographs of the beneficiaries on the government website, after which the government would transfer the subsidy amount to the bank accounts of the farmers.
“During investigation, it was found that between 2017 and 2021, Rana, owner of M/s Tarini Auto Agency in Balasore, uploaded fake sales details of over 500 paddy transplanters with fake engine and chassis numbers. They had also uploaded the names and photographs of fake beneficiaries of 18 districts on the government’s Direct Benefit Transfer portal,” Additional Director General of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev panda said.
Subsequently, the government had released a subsidy amount of about Rs.6 crore in favor of the farmers. The subsidy has been deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers.
Rana had conspired with the poor farmers and paid them some thousands of rupees before withdrawing the subsidy amount from their accounts. “Rana had snatched the government subsidy without selling or buying any farm equipment,” Panda said. Though the farmers were benefitted illegally, the EOW did not arrest them as they were lured by the Rana, who paid them a few thousand rupees.
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