• A few clerks took advantage of poor supervision of agency areas
• ‘Recruit’ 280 staff in DM&HO when actual requirement was 41
• High-level probe giving jitters to involved staff
• Two employees of the DM&HO decided to turn approvers

Visakhapatnam: The freezing temperatures and thick fog has enveloped the treasury in Chintapalle from the public eye where an amount of close to Rs 11 crore has been swindled during the past four years by the lower-level employees. What is discovered could be a tip of the iceberg and more would come to light after the police completes its preliminary report.

The modus operandi is simple. The District Medical and Health Office, which outsources nurses, ANMs and health assistants, pays an average salary of Rs 10,000 to each of the such employee. The requirement is 41 posts in different categories but the amount drawn was for over 280 employees since 2010-2011 financial year. A few clerks in the sub-treasury office at Chintapalle and District Medical and Health Office in Visakhapatnam taking advantage of poor supervision in the agency tracts due to the strong presence of Maoists hatched a plan to create a list of ghost employees.

According to sources, annually Rs 3.36 crore was drawn for disbursement of salaries to 280 employees when the actual staff strength is 41. M Geetha Devi, Deputy Director, District Treasury, smelled the rat and lodged a complaint with the police on November 26.

Superintendent of Police Koyya Praveen swung into action and asked Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime) M Krishna Varma to conduct a detailed inquiry into the issue.

Two employees one each from the treasury and DMHO have been suspended recently but the information was not given to the police.

“We are checking the bank accounts and the drawees from the beginning before coming to a conclusion, apartment talking to the people,’’ the superintendent said.

But interestingly no arrests have been made so far in this connection.

District Medical and Health Officer J Sarojini said she was not fully aware of the facts since she joined the office recently.

Fearing serious repercussions, two employees of the DM&HO seem to have decided to turn approver and provide more details to the police.