Hatadihi: An audit report has flagged alleged financial irregularities amounting to Rs 99.65 lakh in the Mareigaon Service Cooperative Society (SCS) in Kendujhar district during the 2023-24 financial year, with recovery of the amount recommended from four persons, including the society’s secretary.
The audit was conducted by Kendujhar Audit Circle Auditor Biram Marndi. The report recommended recovery of Rs 95.79 lakh from incumbent in-charge secretary Sarat Kumar Sethi, Rs 20,931 from former in-charge secretary Chakradhar Mishra, Rs 70,124 from Sethi’s brother Bibhuti Bhusan Sethi and Rs 2,362 from peon Nabaghan Nayak.
According to the report, the largest amount attributed to Sethi relates to alleged misappropriation and irregular expenditure. The audit also raised objections to spending on house repairs and procurement without approval, payment of gratuity and allegedly excessive salaries, appointment of contingent staff, accounting errors, non-deposit of surplus funds and excessive withdrawals.
However, Sethi said the audit report was not final and that no notice had been served to him so far. He said the final decision would be taken by the cooperative department’s court in Kendujhar after considering the responses of those concerned.
District Registrar of Cooperative Societies Parshuram Patra said the audit section would be asked to provide the report, which would then be examined.