CBI seeks permission to probe senior IAS officials in UP’s PF scam
India Today
CBI said the IAS officials had invested over Rs 4,500 crore from the UP State Power Sector Employees’ Trust in housing schemes.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought permission from the Uttar Pradesh Government to initiate an investigation against senior IAS officials in connection with a multi-thousand crore Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scam, sources said.
The federal probe agency has sought permission to initiate an investigation against 1984 batch IAS officer Sanjay Aggarwal (Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), 1988 batch Alok Kumar (Secretary, Power Ministry), and 2001 batch IAS officer Aparna Upadhyay (Secretary, UP Government Medical Health Department). Along with them, the agency has also sought sanctions to investigate nine other government officials, who were once posted in UP Power Corporation Limited at different times between 2013 and 2019.
In May 2020, the CBI examined Alok Kumar, then chairman, and Aparna Upadhayay, the erstwhile managing director of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) in connection with the case.
According to the CBI, Alok Kumar had invested around Rs 4,323 crore from the provident fund of UP State Power Sector Employees’ Trust in various housing finance schemes, including DHFL, whereas Aparna Upadhayay had invested over Rs 325 crore in DHFL and other financial schemes.
Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL) is already being probed in various scams. The investigation by the CBI has now revealed a nexus between the bureaucrats and the private financial companies.
Earlier, the CBI had questioned AP Mishra, then MD, UPPCL, Pravin Kumar Gupta, former secretary of the UP State Power Sector Employees’ Trust and Sudhanshu Dwivedi, former director (finance), in connection with the Rs 2,267 crore EPF scam in Uttar Pradesh.
It was alleged that savings of power sector employees had been invested in Dewan Housing Finance Corporation. All three accused are currently lodged at Lucknow jail.
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