Fresh notices to recover embezzled fee from NRIs
Friday, 10/01/2014
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HOSHIARPUR: The of fice of Jalandhar divisional commissioner has once again directed deputy commissioners (DCs) of all the eight districts falling under the division to recover the embossing fee from the applicants concerned, which was embezzled more than a year ago by one of its employees along with two private service providers.
Following these instructions, fresh notices are being issued to the people who had availed embossing services from the commissionerate office. Embossing of documents like general power of attorney (GPA) and special power of attorney, executed out of India, is done by divisional commissioners.
Earlier, the fee was taken in cash but adopting a cautious approach, it is now accepted in Indian postal orders only.
Officials in the office of the commissioner said that the recovered amount was being received from various districts but, in most of the cases, details of the power of attorney are not attached due to which the case of the applicant concerned could not be cleared.
It is mentioned in the notices that till the fee is deposited, the document issued to them would not be allowed to be used for any transaction.
NGO Human Empowerment League Punjab (HELP) activist Parvinder Singh Kitna has got a copy of such letters issued by the commissioner to the DCs.
The letter reminds that action would be taken under sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120 (B) of the IPC against the people who fail to pay the dues and their properties could be attached.
The people, who had paid the fee to the accused clerk, are reluctant to pay it again whereas the officials say that applicants would have to do so as it was their fault because they should have deposited the money in the banks themselves rather than relying on private agents.
