Rs 700 Crore Worth Sheep Scam Being Probed by ACB

Hyderabad: Officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) reportedly obtained leads in the sheep purchase scam, which could be around Rs 700 crore.

The officials had questioned former minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav's officer on special duty Kalyan Kumar and others.

Meanwhile, social activist Bakka Judson on Monday wrote to the bureau’s DG C.V. Anand in which he reportedly mentioned names and scam details and sought action against officers, who were involved in the scam.

During the investigation, ACB officials allegedly came across more irregularities in the purchase of sheep, including by animal husbandry officials, who paid farmers and who in turn sold sheep to the government.

Judson mentioned that the Telangana sheep distribution was a subsidized scheme but the department officials diverted more funds. Judson alleged that NCDC had sanctioned financial assistance to the tune of Rs 4000 crore to Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation Ltd (TSSGDCFL) for purchasing four lakh sheep rearing units with an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore for the benefit of four lakhs members of Primary Sheep Breeders Cooperative Societies (PSBCSs) from 2016 to 2019 in 30 districts of the state under the direct funding scheme of NCDC on the state government’s guarantee.

NCDC extended financial aid to the tune of Rs 323.82 crore to the Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation in Asifabad, Bhupalpally and Khammam districts.

Judson alleged that Dr P. Srikanth PVC Wangapally, Dr Sridhar Reddy, Tummalagudem, Dr Chandra Reddy, Rajapet, Dr M Madan Kumar, former DV&HO and others were all involved in the racket. The ACB needs to probe the irregularities in fund diversion, he said.