Beneficiaries of Khurshid NGO received aid after allegations surfaced

Mangalore Today/ CNN-IBN

New Delhi, Oct 16: Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid’s Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust now faces more allegations over the allotment of support equipment to the differently-abled. CNN-IBN travelled to Bulandshahr where camps were held to distribute equipment to the differently-abled and found both, jarring stories of discrepancies and genuine beneficiaries of the Khurshid trust.

While some of the beneficiaries claimed that they got aids, others said they did not and there were many others who said they got the wrong equipment. Some even said that the equipment began being distributed only after the row broke out, ie as late as Sunday.

 

On Monday evening, a handicap welfare officer in Bulandshahr alleged that his predecessor never signed on the documents of the beneficiaries shown by the Zakir Hussain Trust, adding to the scores of allegations against Khurshid and his wife, Louise, who is a project director at the Trust.

His comments came after Khurshid rubbished charges of misappropriation of funds by his trust. The district handicap welfare officer added that his predecessor had told the state government that her signature on a report on equipment distributed to 42 disabled people was forged.

The official Sushil Kumar Gautam also told CNN-IBN that the block development officers (BDOs) were now conducting a physical check on the list of beneficiaries. "So far two of the four BDOs have submitted their reports. In Sayana, all four named have benefited while in Jehangirabad block, only one had benefited." Officials also say that the Trust did not give them any information on camps it held.