Dimapur, March 27 (MExN): Rebutting reports of an alleged “subsidy scam” over issue of claims and subsidies in the North East Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi), the corporation has issued a clarification clearing air on the charges.
The clarification issued by the Assistant Manager, Public relations stated that the corporation receives claims from the Director of Industries duly approved and sanctioned at State Level Committee (SLC) meetings of respective states. All the claims are then placed before the Pre-Audit Team of the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, by the Director of Industries for audit, before disbursement.
The claims are considered for disbursement only after receipt of the pre-audit report along with the list of claims approved and cleared for disbursement by the DIPP, subject to availability of the funds, it stated adding that the corporation receives the disbursement advice duly certified by the Director of Industries & Commerce containing all the relevant information like unit’s name, location, proprietor’s name, bank account, period of claim, eligible amount, etc.
Further, at the time of disbursement, beneficiaries are asked to submit the Affidavit and Undertaking in the prescribed format. Further, the corporation verifies veracity of the claim though Industry Registration Certificate, which also contains a photograph of the beneficiary, issued by the Director of Industries & Commerce, Nagaland, and bank passbook, to verify the identity of the beneficiary and to ensure conformity of information contained in the claim papers submitted by the Director of Industries & Commerce, Nagaland. After satisfying all the guidelines for disbursal, the NEDFi issues the cheques and hands over the same to the original beneficiary, recommended by the Director of Industries, Nagaland.
In respect of all the disbursements made by issuing cheques in the name of the particular unit, the clarification stated that the proprietors name and bank account details were based on the particulars duly certified by the Director of Industries, Nagaland. The cheques were handed over directly to the beneficiaries at NEDFi H.O., Guwahati in presence of official of the Directorate of Industries, Government of Nagaland. Since the details of all bank accounts are certified by the Director of Industries, Nagaland, it is not under the purview of NEDFi to ascertain from the banks whether these are joint or single accounts, and the onus lies with the concerned beneficiaries and the Director of Industries, Nagaland. The corporation interacts with the beneficiary only at the time of disbursement of cheques after the documentation is completed by the office of the Director of Industries. It is also substantiated by the fact that the bank account statement (which the NEDFi obtains as an additional safeguard) does not indicate whether the account is joint or single.
“Hence, being only a nodal agency for disbursement, the allegations leveled against NEDFi about insisting the entrepreneurs on opening of joint accounts at Dimapur, that too with some unknown person, is absolutely false and without basis, and has tarnished the image of the Corporation.
Secondly, the nexus between the Corporation and the middleman, as alleged is totally fabricated” it maintained while pointing out that this is the first ever complaint received. “In fact, a written request received by NEDFi from the Director, Industries & Commerce, Nagaland, to hand over the beneficiaries’ cheques to the President of Industrial Entrepreneurs Association, Nagaland, was declined by the Corporation” it added.
.jpg)
