Millions meant for night shelters in New Delhi siphoned off

January 07, 2013 - In India, twenty-eight officials of the Delhi government could face possible dismissal after it was revealed that for 20 years, almost 200 million rupees meant for night shelters for the poor were siphoned off with impunity. The amount was earmarked for building night shelters and to provide other welfare assistance to the national capital's poor and homeless. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to begin an investigation into the racket that has deprived the city's poor of several night shelters. It has also recommended major penalty proceedings, including possible dismissal from service, against 28 Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) officials. Delhi has only 150 shelters, providing respite to a paltry 7,500 homeless people this winter season when cold wave is intensifying and the temperatures are below normal. The city has more than 300,000 homeless poor and a heated shelter could well determine if they get to live for another day.
When the first details of the scam emerged in September, 2010, the Delhi government's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) stepped in to pre-empt the CBI from taking over the case. And the ACB has been sitting on it ever since, forcing the CVC to step in. According to sources, between 1990 and 2010, over 190 million rupees, earmarked for the DUSIB were siphoned off. Initially, it was blamed on Purushottam Kumar, who rose through the ranks to become an assistant director. The initial inquiry had blamed Kumar, saying he didn't deposit cheques and cash meant for DUSIB into its account. It was also found that transactions were shown in the cash books and the account statements were prepared on the basis of cash book entries. Bank statements were never reconciled for almost two decades until September, 2010.