Chandigarh; Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, while addressing the issue concerning IDFC First Bank, stated that the matter came to light due to the alertness of the state government departments, following which the government immediately de-empanelled the bank. The statements provided by the bank did not match the records maintained by the concerned departments. The case has been handed over to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and directions have also been issued to constitute a high-level committee to conduct a detailed probe.
The Chief Minister informed the House during the Budget Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Monday, and also shared the same with the mediapersons later, that IDFC First Bank had written to SEBI acknowledging irregularities committed by certain bank employees. The bank has also initiated action against the employees concerned. An FIR has been registered in connection with the irregularities detected in the bank’s transactions.
He said that the bank wrote a letter in this regard on February 21. However, even before, the government had taken cognisance of the matter and, on February 18, de-panelled the bank and directed that the entire amount, along with interest, be transferred to a nationalised bank. The money is completely safe. Every single rupee will be recovered, he said, adding that the investigation will determine whether the irregularity was committed by a bank employee or involved any other individual.
The Chief Minister said that the government acted proactively in detecting the issue, as it monitors every matter with utmost seriousness. He further said that a significant portion of the Haryana Government’s funds deposited with IDFC First Bank had been invested in fixed deposits (FDs).
He said that the practice of departments keeping funds in banks is not new. This has been happening earlier as well. Even during the Congress tenure, departmental funds were kept in banks. Banks are empanelled from time to time, and new banks continue to be added, he said. He reiterated that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and that no one found guilty would be spared.