Ex-MLA Sandra seeks vigilance probe into PMEGP loan irregularities

Former Sathupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah alleged large-scale irregularities in PMEGP loan sanctions and pre-primary instructor appointments in Khammam district. He demanded a vigilance inquiry, action against officials and transparency in the recruitment process by publishing the merit list and interview marks.

Khammam: Sathupalli former MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah alleged that massive irregularities had taken place in the sanctioning of PMEGP loans and the recruitment of pre-primary instructors and attendants in Khammam district.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, he demanded that an immediate vigilance inquiry into these irregularities be ordered and strict action be taken against those responsible.

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Colluding with middlemen, officials from the District Central Cooperative Bank (DCCB) sanctioned Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) loans on a large scale, disregarding mandatory field verification and geo-tagging protocols.

In Sathupalli constituency and various other parts of the district, loan subsidies exceeding Rs 10 crore were siphoned off by benamis without a single industrial unit actually being established in more than 90 per cent of the cases, Veeraiah noted.

Genuinely eligible candidates from SC/ST and BC communities, as well as women, faced harassment and were denied bank loans, while subsidies were released immediately to those with political influence or connections, he complained.

He wanted the district Collector to immediately appoint a vigilance inquiry committee to probe the scam and suspend the officials responsible, including the Sathupalli DCCB branch manager and others involved in the irregularities.

Similarly, pre-primary instructor posts have to be filled solely based on educational qualifications (merit) without conducting any interviews. However, in Khammam district, new guidelines were formulated in violation of Education Department rules, allocating 30 marks for interviews.

Yielding to pressure from Congress leaders and local MLAs, authorities bypassed meritorious candidates with higher qualifications such as BEd and DEd and resorted to irregular appointments, the former MLA alleged.

The merit list of candidates for the 114 posts filled across the district, along with details of the marks awarded in the interviews, must be displayed on the district notice board and at the mandal level, Veeraiah demanded.

BRS senior leaders Uppala Venkataramana, Bellam Venugopal and Pagadala Nagaraju were present.