Gold and Silversmith workers duped in lakhs under PMSD programme
Udupi: A case of duping people under the Prime Minister Skill Development Programme has come to light. The members of Udupi District Gold and Silversmith workers Union have alleged that Uday Acharya Palli has duped their subsidy and allowance fund under the Prime Minister Skill Development programme.
The Union members under the leadership of State Gold and Silversmith workers Union president Rama Acharya submitted a memorandum to SP Dr Sanjeev M Patil on Thursday, December 21 and demanded to hold an enquiry by a special team.
In the memorandum, they stated that during the general body meeting of the association Uday Acharya a private ITI center owner had urged the members to enrol in a training programme at Gems and Jewellery course which include a three-month training course with allowance and subsidy. 320 members had enrolled in the programme but only 120 members who had completed the examination were provided certificates. The subsidy and the allowance were not remitted to the bank even after one year of the training programme.
The members were asked to open a savings bank account with the State Bank of India, Udupi Branch which was remitted with rupees 7500 and 21000 respectively for three months but it is alleged that along with the officials of the State Bank of India Uday Acharya has duped the members. The money credited as part of the training programme was withdrawn by the Bank officials and Uday Acharya.
When the members had asked the Bank officials and Uday Acharya they were threatened saying, that they were influential people and troubling them would lead to further problems. The members of Udupi District Chinna Belli Belegarara Sangha urged the district police and district administration to initiate legal action against the offenders.
Balakrishna Kappettu, Rathnakar Kurkalu and others were present.
