KOLKATA: Abhijit Das Bobby has filed a complaint alleging large-scale irregularities in the distribution of Cyclone Amphan relief funds in West Bengal’s Falta Block and has sought an independent criminal investigation into the matter, naming Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee along with several current and former officials.
According to the complaint, an analysis of government records and beneficiary databases points to possible discrepancies involving more than ₹47 crore distributed under separate fishermen’s relief and housing assistance schemes introduced after Cyclone Amphan devastated parts of West Bengal in 2020.
The complaint alleges that ₹2.68 crore allocated for fishermen’s relief in Falta Block may have been disbursed based on questionable records. The complainant has highlighted an apparent discrepancy in official documents, claiming that while 10,000 fishing nets were shown as damaged, only 80 boats were recorded as affected.
BJP leader Abhijit Das Bobby has alleged that such inconsistencies raise concerns about possible fake beneficiaries, fabricated verification reports, inflated damage assessments and potential misappropriation of public funds.
The complaint has sought an investigation into the roles of several individuals, including Abhishek Banerjee, former Falta MLA Sankar Kumar Naskar, Jahangir Khan, the then Block Development Officer (BDO) of Falta and various local-level officials associated with verification and implementation processes.
In a separate set of allegations, the complaint also questions the distribution of housing assistance provided to Cyclone Amphan victims in Falta Block. According to the complaint, ₹44.70 crore was distributed among 39,041 beneficiaries.
The complainant claims that an examination of beneficiary data revealed duplicate entries, repeated mobile numbers, multiple members from the same family appearing in records and other suspicious patterns that require further scrutiny.
The complaint further alleges that in some instances, funds may have been disbursed without adequate physical verification of damage and also mentions allegations regarding illegal commissions or “cut money”, although these claims have not been independently verified.
One of the key issues raised concerns the “Recommended By” column in certain government database records. Abhijit Das Bobby has alleged that Abhishek Banerjee’s name appears in numerous entries and has therefore demanded an investigation into the source and legitimacy of those recommendations.
The complaint also seeks an inquiry into the roles of the Falta Block Development Officer, the Additional District Magistrate (Development) of South 24 Parganas, concerned Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti officials, data entry operators and database approving authorities.
Additionally, the complainant has demanded a forensic audit of the complete database, examination of digital server logs, a detailed banking trail analysis and legal action against anyone found to have wrongfully benefited from public funds.
In a statement accompanying the complaint, Abhijit Das Bobby said that analysis of official records and beneficiary databases suggests serious irregularities, duplicate beneficiaries, fake records and possible embezzlement involving more than ₹47 crore in Amphan relief distribution in Falta Block.
He has called for the registration of an FIR and an impartial, full-fledged criminal investigation into all individuals and officials named in the complaint.
No investigating agency or court has established any wrongdoing against Abhishek Banerjee or any of the other individuals named. The allegations remain part of a complaint seeking investigation and have not been proven.
