Union leaders embezzle 104cr meant for jobless mill workers..

Here is a case that will make even the apostle of peace - Mahatma Gandhi - seethe with anger. Union leaders have been accused of embezzling crores of rupees meant as compensation to thousands of jobless workers of closed textile mills. 


A police complaint registered earlier this month accused labour union leaders of opening 9,615 bogus savings accounts in the name of non-existent mill workers in a cooperative bank in Ahmedabad and embezzling Rs 104 crore that the Gujarat high court had ordered as compensation to the workers. The complaint has been filed by Mansukh Parmar , who used to work in the now closed Calico Mills. He has accused 22 people, most of whom represent the various labour unions, of embezzlement. 


All his life, Gandhiji had fought for the rights of the mill workers and had even helped establish their first union - Majoor Mahajan Sangh - more than 90 years ago. 


Parmar's complaint got credence when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) found in a routine inspection that Bapunagar Mahila Cooperative Bank had opened the bogus savings accounts through which the money was allegedly embezzled. On November 9, RBI wrote to the state government, asking it to supersede the bank's board and appoint an administrator. 


Parmar said in his complaint that in 2005 the high court had ordered the liquidator to pay compensation to workers of 48 closed textile mills. The liquidator asked union leaders of various mills to provide names of workers who were beneficiaries. 


According to the complaint, the union leaders gave thousands of bogus names to the liquidator along with the real ones. Parmar told police that cheques were meant to be given to the workers individually. Instead, they were given to the union leaders in bulk. The leaders sold the cheques to two private money-lenders . Parmar has alleged that money-lenders connived with officials of the cooperative bank and opened bogus accounts.