Guwahati, Jan. 30: Gautam Roy today became the second minister of the previous Tarun Gogoi regime to be questioned by the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau in connection with a multi-crore-rupee scam involving Assam's social welfare department.

Former social welfare minister Akon Bora was quizzed by the bureau officials for six hours in the same case on January 20.

After being summoned by the bureau, Roy reached its office here at Srimantapur at around 11am and was examined by the investigators for four hours in connection with financial irregularities that had taken place in the department during his tenure.

Roy, a prominent Congress leader in the Barak Valley, was in charge of the social welfare department from 2001 to 2005 and for about six months in 20015-16.

The director of vigilance and anti-corruption bureau, Y.K. Gautam, said Roy was questioned regarding financial irregularities that had taken place in the department during his both his tenures as social welfare minister.

Gautam said that there had been financial anomalies in procurement and building construction by the department under centrally sponsored schemes.

He said that the bureau has so far interrogated 26 persons, including Roy, in this case. He said they are likely to file the first chargesheet next month.

"No scam had taken place in the social welfare department during my tenure," Roy told reporters after coming out of the bureau office. He said he was ready to go to jail if his involvement in the scam was proved.

Another former Congress minister, Ajanta Neog, who was in charge of the social welfare department, has also been summoned by the bureau on Thursday for questioning in connection with this scam.

Akon Bora had denied knowledge about any scam taking place in the department when he was the minister.

A police source, however, said that the in-charge minister cannot shirk responsibility for wrongdoings in his department by merely saying that he was not aware of it. The Assam Rules of Executive Business, 1968, lays down guidelines for transaction of business of the government. It says the minister in charge of a department shall be primarily responsible for the disposal of the business pertaining to that department.

The source said a section of social welfare department officials had been allegedly siphoning off Rs 150 crore a year from the government's coffers for the past 15 years in the name of food for nine lakh children who actually do not exist. Besides, 390 fake Anganwadi centres were also fraudulently entered into the record books for siphoning off public money.

The Assam Congress, however, had claimed that the questioning of Akon Bora was part of the BJP government's "political conspiracy" at the behest of cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Sarma, who was a minister in our (Congress) government, is directly involved in the conspiracy. The BJP wants to malign the image of the Congress and the political career of Bora, a two-time minister," Assam PCC general secretary Mukul Sarma had said on January 21.