Two officials suspended in multi cr ore scholarships cam
Action taken against them for gross negligence, hobnobbing with scamsters, says minister Dharamsot; FIR filed against educational institutes
The Punjab government has suspended two departmental officials for serious irregularities in the post- matric scholarship scheme in the state.
Punjab scheduled castes, backward classes and minority welfare minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said the two officers were placed under suspension for gross negligence of duty and hobnobbing with scam ste rs after a special audit of the scheme blew the lid off the multi-crore largescale scholarship scam by various educational institutions.
“Under the scheme for Other Backward Classes, Universal College, Derabassi, claimed ₹ 1.18 crore from the welfare department in the name of 311 students which was probed by the department resulting in the college returning the amount,” he told reporters at a press conference.
The minister said that during the course of the probe, a tehsil welfare officer and senior assistant were suspended and chargesheeted for indulging in gross negligence of duty.
Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had on June 16, 2017 ordered the audit of all educational institutions of the state with regard to the scheme from 2011-12 to 2016-17. This audit would be completed by December 31, 2017.
Dharamsot also said that Devraj Group of Colleges from Ferozepur also tried to defraud the department of ₹4.40 crore.
“The institution had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court regarding pendency of ₹4.40 crore with the welfare department. When the special audit was conducted, the claim was found to be fraudulent,” he said. The minister has ordered registration of FIRs against both the institutions.
As per the CM’s orders, the finance department has conducted the audit of 249 institutions under the post- matric scholarship scheme for SC leading to a claim of ₹ 53.76 crore against several of these institutions by the audit parties.
The minister said the department had decided to conduct audit of amount released under the Aashirwad scheme (shagan scheme) during past five years.
Under the scheme, the practiceof making payment to beneficiaries through cheques would be discontinued and the money would be directly transferred into bank accounts.
Principal secretary, welfare, R Venkatratnam, director Malwinder Singh Jaggi and director, SC sub-plan Raj Bahadur Singh were among those present.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED AUDIT OF 249 INSTITUTIONS UNDER POSTMATRIC SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME FOR SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE LID BLEW OFF THE SCAM