Punjab Govt to file FIR in SC scholarship scam

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6

With the change of guard in the Congress government in Punjab, the state’s Department of Social Justice has initiated the process to lodge an FIR in the multi-crore scam pertaining to the disbursal of funds under the SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme.

The scam surfaced in 2019 during the tenure of former Social Justice Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government. After the scam surfaced, then Additional Chief Secretary (Social Justice) Kirpa Shankar Saroj in a report submitted on August 24, 2020, to Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan had questioned the role of Dharamsot in “shielding” those involved in the scam. However, a second probe by Mahajan-led team gave a clean chit to the minister while Saroj was shunted out of the department.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already probing the scam. Sources in the government said the Department of Social Justice would be initiating criminal proceedings against its officials for wrongfully releasing Rs 16.91 crore to nine educational institutions.

The role of a deputy director of the department who allegedly enjoyed the patronage of the previous minister is under lens. Besides him, action is being initiated against five other department officials for being involved in the illegal disbursal of funds.

Talking to the Tribune, Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Raj Kumar Verka said the required action in the matter had been initiated.

In his report, Saroj had alleged a scam amounting to Rs 55.71 crore in disbursal of SC scholarships. It was disclosed that nearly Rs 39 crore was disbursed to “ghost” institutes and Rs 16.91 crore was wrongfully disbursed to private institutes. The second committee, however, had concluded that Rs 39 crore didn’t go to ghost accounts.

Punjab Govt to file FIR in SC scholarship scam
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