Fake job offers in the name of Rajiv Awas Yojna too!

 

* Another instance of fraud in the name of Government schemes comes to fore 

By Kartik Lokhande 

First, they misused the name of Kisan Call Centres. Then, it came to light, they misused the name of Swarna Jayanti Swarozgar Yojana. Now, it has come to fore that the fraudsters operating at national level are misusing the name of Rajiv Awas Yojna, an initiative of Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA), Government of India. 

‘The Hitavada’ has in possession an ‘appointment letter’ issued to a city-based girl in the name of Rajiv Awas Yojna. The girl has been offered job as ‘Clerk, Customer Care Executive’ with a monthly salary of Rs 23,700/-. The said letter mentions that the salary of Rs 23,700/- is payable to candidates selected from Maharashtra; Rs 23,500/- to those selected from Gujarat; Rs 22,500/- to candidates from Punjab; Rs 21,200/- to those from Madhya Pradesh; and Rs 20,600/- to candidates selected from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. 

As has come to fore in other cases, this ‘appointment letter’ also misuses the Government emblem as well as logo of Rajiv Awas Yojna. It mentions about ‘Direct Recruitment Scheme 2015-16 under Employment Scheme Guarantee Act’. The letter is signed by an unnamed person, whose signature is not properly legible, designated as Director. Surprisingly, it bears the seal of ‘Ministry of Communication and Technology of India’ with national emblem. It is stated at the bottom of this letter that it has been issued by ‘Ministry of Rural and Urban Development’. It is clearly a matter of misuse of national emblem and tweaking of the names of ministries. The letter does not carry any website address, but an e-mail id ‘rajivawasyojna2015@gmail.com’.

The ‘appointment letter’ promises too many things for one to become suspicious. For instance, it promises residence, food, training, medical treatment, petrol, electricity, vehicle for ‘free’. Though the letter is purportedly issued under a scheme of Central Government, it promises insurance from State Government. Besides, it promises ‘immediate loan’ up to Rs 5 lakh, that too, ‘without’ any guarantor. It asks the selected candidates to pay a ‘security deposit’ in cash only. Attached to the letter is a page of ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’ with logo and name of Life Insurance Corporation of India. Obviously, the logo and name of LIC are misused in the letter. Shockingly, the ‘employee insurance letter’ promises that the selected candidate a cheque of ‘free insurance’ of Rs 2 lakh. This ‘employee insurance letter’ misusing LIC’s name and logo carries name of one D K Kanda, who has been identified as Senior Divisional Manager, but it bears no signature.

Sadly, as such fake letters promise jobs with salaries upwards of Rs 25,000 per month, many unemployed youths, mostly those who have passed SSC or HSC, fall prey to these. They end up paying ‘security deposit’ and losing that money. As the letters are rampantly misusing the logos and national emblem, a common person is inclined to believe that the letters are authentic.

Ministry terms such job offers as ‘fake’ 

The issue of such job offers purportedly under Rajiv Awas Yojana has caught the attention of Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA). In fact, in August 2014 itself, MHUPA had issued an office memorandum regarding ‘fradulent job offers in the name of Rajiv Awas Yojana’. The memorandum signed by Rahul Mahna, Under Secretary to the Government of India, also is in possession of ‘The Hitavada’. It is available on the website of MHUPA too. The memorandum states that the advertisements/appointment offers jobs/posts under Rajiv Awas Yojana are ‘all fake’ and that MHUPA is ‘not associated’ with them in any manner. It also advises people not to deposit any fees/amount for securing jobs.

No action by agencies leaves youths in lurch

Though there have been several instances, none of the official agencies ranging from cops to respective ministries has taken any ‘action’ against the fraudsters so far.

At the levels of respective ministries, only advisories have been issued on their websites. The fraudsters are issuing advertisements in various newspapers including those in local languages across the country, and are targeting those who have cleared only SSC or HSC. Many of these candidates do not even have better knowledge about the authentic websites or authentic details of Government schemes, or proper knowledge of Internet use. Still, the ministries have done their bit by issuing only advisories only on their websites. None of the ministries is reported to have lodged any complaint with top-level investigating agencies of the country to bust this nation wide racket of fraudsters operating mostly from Delhi and nearby areas.

As far as cops are concerned, they too are reluctant to start investigation into this nation wide fraud. Even in Nagpur, which is the Second Capital of Maharashtra, the cops advise the victims to lodge complaint at police station under which their bank branch from which money was deposited to accounts mentioned in such fraud appointment letters. Jurisdictionally, it may be correct. But, it is acting only in letter of the rules and not in the spirit. If respective Government agencies in Nagpur lodge an official complaint with Police Department, and the cops start investigations not at the level of police station but at the level of Economic Offences Wing and bust the nation wide racket, precious savings of many unemployed youths will be saved. Besides, it will fetch for them the credit of busting a national racket.

Will the agencies act in larger public interest and book those misusing Government emblems, Prime Minister’s photograph? It is for the Government agencies to answer. 

(25-06-15)