Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on the basis of documents procured by them in the matter of alleged irregularities in recruitment of clerks and workers in different municipalities in West Bengal, has decided to file a separate case in the matter.
During the course of raid and search operations at the residence of private real estate promoter Ayan Sil in connection with the multi-crore scam in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools in West Bengal, agency sleuths procured crucial documents pointing towards similar irregularities in recruitment in different municipalities in the state.
Sill is currently in judicial custody.
The ED counsel has already claimed at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) such irregularities had been evident in several municipalities in the state and in that process around 5,000 people in workers’ and clerks’ grades were recruited against payments of crore of rupees.
Meanwhile, in wake of such findings by the central agency, West Bengal Municipal Affairs & Urban Development Department has decided to conduct a staff audit in all the state’s municipalities.
It is learnt that the proposed staff audit might be conducted in three phases. The first phase will cover those municipalities which are close to Kolkata. In the second phase, the remaining municipalities in the south Bengal districts will be covered. In the third and final phase, the audit will be at the municipalities in north Bengal.
(IANS)