Four Officials Held for Siphoning Rs 2.1 cr from Sheep Scheme

The arrested officers were identified as D. Ravi, assistant director of Kamareddy Area Veterinary Hospital, M. Aditya Kesav Sai, assistant director, district veterinary and animal husbandry officer (AHO), Medchal, Pasula Raghupathi Reddy, Rangareddy district groundwater officer, and Sangu Ganesh, deputy director of adult education department.

The ACB official who did the preliminary probe said the accused colluded and conspired with private parties by creating benami accounts to divert the funds. The accused were produced in court and lodged in judicial remand.

As per government directives, a senior officer from each department is to be present to purchase sheep from other states. It was found that Raghupathi Reddy and Ganesh went to purchase sheep and committed irregularities, while Ravi and Kesav Sai colluded with the private parties to open benami accounts.

An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) raised suspicion of fraud in SRDS implementation, which was introduced in 2017. Under the scheme, each beneficiary gets a sheep unit, comprising 20 ewes and one ram. The total cost of each unit was `1.25 lakh, of which 75 per cent (`93,750) was to be given as a subsidy and 25 per cent (`31,250) was to be paid by the beneficiary.

Implemented by the Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation Limited (TSSGDCFL) at the state level and by the District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Officers (DV&AHOs) at district level, sheep are purchased from neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to avoid recycling and increase the net sheep population in the state. The sheep breeds chosen are ‘Nellore Brown (Dora)’, ‘Nellore Jodipi (white with black spots on face)’, ‘Deccani’ and ‘Madras Red’.

From 2017-18 to September 2021, in seven districts, a total of `1,538.59 crore (including subsidy of `1,153.94 crore) was spent, with `1,490.38 crore (including `1,117.79 crore subsidy) on the purchase of sheep and `48.21 crore (including `36.15 crore subsidy) on transportation.

The CAG audit found that of 1,15,378 sheep units, transport invoices for only 98,543 units were produced, while ledgers for 16,835 sheep units — costing `142.69 crore — were not furnished.

Timeline:

Black sheep in the ranks

June 2017

Sheep distribution scheme started. Each beneficiary gets 20 ewes and a ram, costing `1.25 lakh. Government pays 75% (`93,750), beneficiary `31,250 for each sheep unit. Senior officers were to travel to neighbouring states, purchase sheep

2023

Dec. 10: Nampally police register cases against animal husbandry department officers over missing files and records being set afire.

Dec. 26: Gachibowli police register cases, on a complaint lodged by shepherd Yeddullaiah, that former department officer on special duty Kalyan had cheated him.

2024

CAG audited purchase of 1,15,378 sheep units in six districts. Transport invoices for 98,543 units produced to audit, data on Rs 142.69 crore for another 16,835 sheep units not furnished.

Jan. 17: Government hands over cases to ACB to probe irregularities in the distribution of sheep.