BIG SCAMS UNEARTHED DURING SPECIAL AUDIT OF POST MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME: SADHU SINGH DHARAMSOT

CHANDIGARH, NOVEMBER 2, 2017: The Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Minister, Punjab, Mr.Sadhu Singh Dharamsot today revealed that scams pertaining to various educational institutions have been unearthed during the special audit of the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme carried out by the department. He further said that the 2 departmental officers have been placed under suspension for scam in the academic welfare scheme, hobnobbing with the scamsters and gross negligence of duty.

Interacting with the media-persons here at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Mr.Dharamsot said that the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh had on 16th June, 2017 ordered the special audit of all the educational institutions of the State with regard to the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC/OBC from 2011-12 to 2016-17. It is in keeping with these orders that the Finance Department is conducting a check of the records and accounts of the educational institutions and this special audit would be completed in all respects by 31st December, 2017.

Blowing the lid off the scams, Mr. Dharamsot said that under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC the Universal College Derabassi claimed Rs. 1.18 crore from the Welfare Department in the name of 311 students belonging to the OBC category which was thoroughly probed by the department resulting in the college returning the amount to the tune of Rs. 1,17, 62,000 to the department. He further said that during the course of the probe 2 officials namely Sunny Bajaj (Tehsil Welfare Officer) of Headoffice and Senior Assistant Satish Kumar have been suspended and charge-sheeted after being found guilty of collaborating in the scam and indulging in gross negligence of duty.

The minister also divulged that during this specialized audit Devraj Group of Colleges from Ferozepur also tried to defraud the department of Rs. 4.40 crore by showing off bogus students. This institution had approached the Hon'ble Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding pendency of Rs. 4.40 crore with the Welfare Department. When the special audit of this institution was conducted the claim of Rs. 4.40 crore pertaining to this institution was found to be fraudulent. The Welfare Minister has ordered the registration of FIRs against both the above mentioned institutions.

The minister further added that the Finance Department as per the orders of the Chief Minister has conducted the audit of 249 institutions under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC leading to the audit parties claiming Rs. 53.76 crore amount against these institutions. The audit parties has made out/calculated this objectionable amount against various educational institutions who had wrongfully claimed scholarship under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC on the grounds of without acknowledgement to renewed students, without income certificate, unsigned applications by the students and in the name of drop out students.

Mr. Dharamsot also said that the department has also decided that the audit of the amount released under the Aashirwad Scheme (Shagan Scheme) during the previous 5 years would be conducted by the other department. He also disclosed that under the said scheme from current year onwards, the practice of payments being made to the beneficiaries through cheques would be discontinued and the amount instead would be directly transferred into the accounts of the beneficiaries through the Online Banking Management System. He also said that from 1st April, 2017 onwards those beneficiaries applying under the Aashirwad Scheme would be accorded the benefit of Rs. 21000 and those applying earlier i.e. till 31st March, 2017 would be given the benefit of the scheme at the rate of Rs. 15000.

Mr. Dharamsot further said that a special campaign would be initiated by the State Government to make sure that the benefits under the different welfare schemes being run by the Government accrue to the beneficiaries. Disclosing more, he said that there is a need to properly implement the all welfare centric schemes concerning the Union and the State Government. He also ordered the departmental officers to ensure strict adherence to transparency while implementing the process of giving benefits to eligible beneficiaries without any undue delay.

On the occasion, Principal Secretary, Welfare Department Mr. R. Venkatratnam, Director Mr. Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Director SC Sub-Plan Mr. Raj Bahadur Singh, all the Joint Directors, Deputy Directors and Welfare Officers of the Districts were also present.