KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday alleged a Rs 15,000 crore revenue leak in Birbhum over the past 15 years, claiming the alleged corruption could not have taken place without the support of the previous government.Speaking to media, Adhikari alleged that several government departments were either involved in the alleged irregularities or chose to remain silent under directions from the “highest level”.The allegations came after police recovered Rs 28.5 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold from the Birbhum residence of absconding stone trader Tullu Mondal during a crackdown on alleged illegal mining and revenue leakages in the district.Investigators suspect that a large portion of the seized cash was revenue that had been siphoned off. Birbhum has been under the scanner for years over allegations of illegal stone quarrying and organised crime linked to the mining trade.Targeting his predecessor Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari said, “An organised racket siphoning off revenue for years… cannot function without the concurrence of the head of the institution.”“Without the support of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, it is impossible for such a large racket to have operated for so long. Institutional corruption happens only when the head of the institution encourages corruption,” CM said.“If directions do not come from the highest level, no one would take a look at Mondal. Officials were forced to keep their eyes closed. As the then head of the government, the ultimate responsibility lies with the former chief minister,” he told the media.Adhikari said bank accounts belonging to Tullu Mondal containing Rs 93 crore had been frozen as part of the investigation.He said investigators had also identified 21 properties linked to Mondal, including seven houses, a farmhouse, two petrol pumps, a parking facility, stone mines, crushers and around 300 bighas of land, which were being seized.According to Adhikari, officials have also traced 242 vehicles, including several luxury cars. He claimed that assets worth nearly Rs 150 crore, including cash, gold and jewellery allegedly acquired through illegal means, had already been seized.On the arrest of a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed member from Burdwan, Adhikari declined to comment, saying the matter was “very sensitive”.“The Special Task Force is investigating the case and would brief the media on August 1,” he said.
