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A major irregularity has come to light at the Directorate of Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare, Assam, as an audit revealed the disappearance of 97 smartphones from the office building, sources said. Despite an internal inquiry identifying the custodian responsible, no action has been taken against him so far.
According to official records, the Directorate had purchased 2702 smartphones under the “Promotion of Digital Literacy and Usage” scheme during the 2020-21 financial year to be distributed among line sardars in tea gardens. While 2570 smartphones were successfully distributed in 2021, the remaining 132 were retained for the contractual staff of the Programme Management Unit (PMU). Of these, 35 smartphones were kept in the Director’s almirah, while the remaining 97 were stored on the third floor (Museum Building) of the Directorate’s office.
A physical verification conducted by the audit team from the Principal Accountant General’s office, Assam, between August 24 and October 10, 2024, found that the 97 smartphones stored in the Museum Building were missing. Following this revelation, an internal inquiry was initiated, led by the Joint Director of the Directorate. The investigation concluded that the key to the Museum Building had been in the possession of Anil Kumar Deuri, Superintendent of the Directorate, since May 19, 2021. The report further stated that there was no evidence of forced entry, making Deuri solely responsible for the disappearance of the smartphones.
Subsequently, 30 missing smartphones were recovered from the residence of Dhiren Tati, a fourth-grade temporary employee of the Directorate. Tati was arrested and sent to jail. However, despite being identified as the custodian of the missing stock, no action has been taken against Anil Kumar Deuri, raising concerns over the handling of the case.
Regarding the incident, the Director, of Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare has lodged an FIR at the Birubari Police Outpost, and demanded a proper investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, regarding the incident, the All Assam Tea Tribes Students' Union (AATTSA) has condemned the incident stating, "This is a highly unfortunate incident. At a time when the government has adopted a firm stance against corruption in the state, the disappearance of 97 smartphones from the Directorate of Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare has resulted in an embezzlement of over Rs 25 lakh. 30 missing smartphones were recovered from the residence of Dhiren Tati, a fourth-grade temporary employee of the Directorate. Tati was arrested and sent to jail. It is regrettable that even after a month, despite being identified as the custodian of the missing stock, no action has been taken against Anil Deuri, the actual culprit. We are closely monitoring the actions that the Minister for Labour Welfare of Assam will take in this matter."
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