KOLKATA: Shraddhargyo, the Trinamool Congress-backed private pension initiative publicly associated with Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, has come under scrutiny after a formal complaint was lodged at Bishnupur Police Station in South 24 Parganas seeking an official investigation into its funding, administration and beneficiary selection process.
The complaint was filed by social activist and former Lok Sabha candidate of BJP Abhijit Das, popularly known as Bobby, who has urged authorities to examine the source of funds, operational structure, beneficiary selection process and overall financial governance of the scheme.
According to the complaint, the initiative reportedly provides a monthly pension of ₹1,000 to around 76,000 senior citizens. Based on these publicly reported figures, the annual financial outlay of the programme is estimated to be approximately ₹91.2 crore.
Questions Raised Over Funding Transparency
The complainant has questioned how such a large financial corpus is being mobilised, collected and administered. The complaint alleges that no publicly accessible donor registry, audited financial statements, beneficiary disclosures or institutional transparency mechanisms have been identified despite the scale of the programme.
Abhijit Das has sought an independent verification of the entire financial structure to determine whether all applicable legal and regulatory requirements are being followed.
“The source of funds, beneficiary selection process and overall governance structure of the Shraddhargyo initiative must be independently verified by the competent authorities,” Abhijit stated.
The complaint specifically requests investigators to ascertain who is funding the programme, how contributions are being collected and whether adequate financial oversight mechanisms exist.
Concern Over Beneficiary Identification
One of the key concerns highlighted in the complaint relates to the process through which beneficiaries were identified and enrolled.
According to publicly available information cited in the complaint, the initiative was reportedly aimed at senior citizens who had previously applied for government old-age pension schemes through Duare Sarkar camps.
The complainant has asked authorities to verify whether personal information submitted by citizens for government welfare programmes was subsequently used to identify beneficiaries for a separate private pension initiative.
The complaint seeks an independent examination into the source, access and utilisation of such data, if any, in accordance with applicable laws.
Inquiry Sought Into Income Tax Notice Claims
The complaint also refers to public statements made by Abhishek Banerjee regarding alleged Income Tax notices connected to the initiative. Authorities have been requested to verify the authenticity, origin and contents of any such notices through lawful investigation.
The complainant has urged investigators to examine whether official communications were issued and whether any related statements made in public can be independently substantiated.
Preservation Of Financial And Digital Records Requested
As part of the complaint, police authorities have been urged to immediately secure and preserve all relevant records to prevent possible destruction, deletion or alteration of evidence.
“Authorities should preserve all relevant records and conduct a fair investigation wherever questions involving public interest arise,” Das said.
These include financial documents, bank transaction records, beneficiary databases, electronic communications, operational records and other digital materials linked to the programme.
The complaint further requests authorities to record an appropriate General Diary entry and undertake a preliminary examination of the materials submitted.
Call For FIR If Cognisable Offences Are Found
Abhijit Das has also sought registration of an FIR if investigators conclude that the information available discloses any cognisable offence under applicable laws.
The complaint additionally recommends that relevant financial aspects be referred to competent agencies, including the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate, should evidence collected during an inquiry warrant further examination.
Publicly Reported Figures Mentioned In Complaint
The complaint references several publicly available figures that it says require independent verification:
- Approximately 76,000 senior citizen beneficiaries.
- Around 16,380 volunteers reportedly associated with the initiative.
- Monthly pension assistance of ₹1,000 per beneficiary.
- Estimated monthly disbursement of ₹7.6 crore.
- Estimated annual financial outlay of ₹91.2 crore.
The complainant has emphasised that these figures are derived from publicly available information and should be independently verified by investigating agencies.
Objective Is Transparency And Accountability
Abhijit Das has stated that the purpose of filing the complaint is not to make definitive allegations of wrongdoing but to ensure transparency, accountability and legal compliance in relation to a programme involving substantial financial transactions and a large number of beneficiaries.
As of now, there has been no official response from Abhishek Banerjee or the Trinamool Congress regarding the latest complaint. Authorities are yet to announce whether a formal investigation or FIR will be initiate.
