136 Ponzi companies made Rs 60000 crore in West Bengal: Finance Ministry

KOLKATA: A total of 136 Ponzi companies in Bengal have so far mobilized around Rs 60,000 crore from the state -almost 1.6 times the amount collected by the Bengal government in taxes last year.

And, the list excludes Saradha Group companies and alleged Ponzi schemes run by Rose Valley Group.

An internal report of the Union finance ministry has noted that Ponzi schemes have a free run in Bengal and are mobilizing huge amounts from people despite crackdown on such firms following the unravelling of the Saradha scam.

These firms have also started operating in neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, ministry sources said.

The ministry took notice after the department of money laundering investigation (DMLI), a nodal investigating agency of Nepal, complained about mushrooming growth of Bengal-based Ponzi firms within its territory.

The DMLI had complained that these firms had shifted operations to Nepal after their businesses were stifled in states like Bihar, Odisha and Guwahati. Central agencies have alerted the state about the huge collection.