Maharashtra: Nine booked under IPC 406, 420 for misusing Swachh Bharat funds

Nine people from the Bhawandi town of Maharashtra have been booked for 'cheating' when they misused funds granted to them for building toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Bhawandi division police said Wednesday.

The nine accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), said Sukhada Narkar, the thana police PRO.

Quoting a complaint by a Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation official, police said that the nine had applied for benefits under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan subsidy to build toilets in 2015, but the toilets were never constructed and the money was misappropriated.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Each of them was supposed to get INR 17,000 as subsidy, of which 6,000 had been granted as first installment.

The SwachhBharat Abhiyan grants subsidy of at least INR15,000 (with each state government adding anamount as they deem right) to every registered household provided it falls under the below poverty line (BPL), SC/ST households above poverty line or differently abled and women headed households, and recognised by a committee comprising of Block Development Officer and the village panchayat President.