Punjab CS forms panel of three IAS officers to look into facts
Principal secy, finance, KAP Sinha, principal secy, planning, Jaspal Singh, and secy, vigilance, Vivek Pratap to submit report within 3 days
CHANDIGARH : Punjab chief secretary Vini Mahajan has constituted a committee of three IAS officers to look at the facts in the alleged Rs 64-crore post-matric scholarship scam that has stirred up a political storm in the state.
The three officers – principal secretary, finance, KAP Sinha, principal secretary, planning, Jaspal Singh, and secretary, vigilance, Vivek Pratap Singh – have been asked to examine the records of the social justice, empowerment and minorities department pertaining to the scholarship scheme and submit their report within the next three days.
“The committee has been constituted to get the facts of the matter right. Thereafter,
the CS will submit her report,” according to sources.
Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had on Saturday directed the chief secretary to conduct a thorough probe into the irregularities in distribution of scholarship funds meant for Scheduled Caste (SC) students amid the opposition’s demand for a CBI probe and social welfare minister Sadhu
Singh Dharamsot’s dismissal from the state cabinet over his alleged role in the matter. Mahajan has also been asked to suggest suitable action in the matter.
An inquiry report by additional chief secretary, social justice and empowerment, Kripa Shankar Saroj, which he submitted to the chief secretary last week, pointed out irregularities
in the distribution of Rs 64 crore received from the Centre under the centrally sponsored scheme to private educational institutions, raising questions about the minister’s role in fund releases and patronage to a deputy directorrank officer who was handling the scholarship scheme. The report also names at least five other officers of the department.
The embezzlement charges have set off a chain of protests by the AAP, and the SAD-BJP combine, with two Congress MPs Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo also hitting out at the government. The central ministry has also deputed its two joint secretaryrank officers to conduct an inquiry into the fund misuse.