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Is AMC paying its employees in fake notes? Sunday, September 9, 2001

TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Is the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation paying its octroi and tax department employees in fake Rs 500 notes?

This question has been raised by Leader of the Opposition in AMC, Dharmendra Shah. Shah accuses: "Since the start of this month, I have received numerous complaints from employees of property tax and octroi departments who are now stuck with fake Rs 500 notes. Instead of destroying the fake notes worth lakhs that lie with the corporation, the administration seems to have resolved to join the illegal trade by paying its employees, thereby releasing this duplicate currency back into Ahmedabad's economy."

Municipal commissioner, K Kailashnathan said: "About six months back when I had visited the corporation's treasury the official had fake notes worth Rs 1.75 lakh to show. I have ordered a vigilance enquiry into the affair to determine the source of these fake notes."

Sources in the corporation, however, claimed that the amount of duplicate C-notes with the corporation has grown to Rs 4 lakh. "Since fake currency note generation is mostly during octroi and property tax collections, the employees are being paid in the same mode," sources said.

About a year back, following numerous complaints and cases of fake notes, the corporation had equipped all its octroi check points with currency verification machines that would help in determining authenticity of the money. That apart, AMC also established a rule wherein all those paying in Rs 500 denomination would have their name and address noted down by the octroi officials.

"Despite this practice, fake notes continue to flow in. The vigilance enquiry is on to track down the source. But, it is hardly rational to pay employees in the same fake notes. The AMC administration is yet to wake up to this highly illegal practice, one that would bring trouble for innocent employees if they are caught with these currency notes," said Shah.

Kailashnathan replied: "There is very little chance of any official wilfully being involved in this import of fake notes. The corporation earns Rs 1.5 crore daily as octroi or property tax. Through our established system of recording Rs 500 note-payers' identity, the inflow of duplicate money has been minimised. Neither is it fair to say we are paying our employees in counterfeit notes. Once investigation of the vigilance department is complete we will know."

News Source : Times News Network [ Lightning News ]

 

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