Koraput co-op bank manager suspended

KORAPUT: Three employees, including the branch manager, of Koraput Central Cooperative Bank (KCCB), Kalimela branch, in Malkangiri district were suspended from service on Thursday for allegedly siphoning off farmers loan worth crores.
The suspended officials are branch manager Ramesh Chandra Parmanik, accountant Kishore Bisoi and cahier Bhupendra Narayan Mohanty.According to the secretary of the KCCB, Raghunath Sahu, during 2013-14 and 2014-15, the Kalimela branch had disbursed Rs 4.79 crore loan among 801 farmers. However, only Rs 1.12-crore loan could be recovered from farmers. "There were allegations regarding misappropriation of over Rs 3-crore loan and an inquiry was ordered. The inquiry report was received by the head office on June 26," Sahu said.
The inquiry report revealed that the three suspended officials had prepared fake documents to withdraw the loan amount. The suspended trio put fake signatures of the farmers on bank documents and misappropriated Rs 3.67 crore, he added. Earlier, Sahu said, show-cause notices were served to the three.
"Their answers were unsatisfactory. Whether FIR will be lodged against the trio and how much money will be recovered from them will be decided in our next board meeting," Sahu said.