UP: EOW to question Union Agriculture Secretary in EPF scam

The Uttar Pradesh Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) will question the Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarawal and the former chairman of UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) for recording statements in the Rs 4,000 crore Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scam. 

Documents reveal discrepancy 

The UP Police's EOW who is investigating the case said that it needed to record the statements of all members of the trust when the funds were invested into the Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL). The EOW Director-General, R.P. Singh said the seized documents reveal discrepancy on the date of the meeting of the trust. According to sources, the meeting took place on March 22,2017. However, the documents show March 24 as the date of the meeting. The Director-General also said the wing needs statements from all the trust members. 

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EOW lists 14 brokerage companies

Sources also say the EOW has listed 14 brokerage firms that allegedly initiated contract between UPPCL and DHFL for the investment of the fund in 2016. Moreover, five firms based in  Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Delhi have been found to be non-existent on the ground. 

The EOW has also alleged that notes that allowed employees'' provident fund money to be invested in triple-A-rated companies, carried the signatures of Agarwal, general manager finance P.K. Gupta, director finance Sudhanshu Dwivedi and director personnel and administration S.P. Pandey. 

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Government sacks  UP Power Corporation Ltd chairman Alok Kumar

Yogi Adityanath government on Friday sacked UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) Chairman Alok Kumar from his post. Energy Minister Shrikant Sharma had revealed to Chief Minister Aditynath that a set of officers are allegedly connived in transferring EPF money to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL). He also revealed that Alok Kumar had not kept him in a loop while taking the important decision of transferring huge amounts to DHFL. According to sources, IAS officer Arvind Kumar will take over as the new Principal Secretary and Chairman, UPPCL. 

(With agency inputs)

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