Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for investigating former Aam Aadmi Party ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain for alleged irregularities in the construction of classrooms in Delhi govt schools.
Following a complaint submitted by BJP functionaries Harish Khurana, Kapil Mishra and Neelkanth Bakshi in July 2019 alleging a scam of over Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of 12,748 classrooms at a “very high and inflated” cost, an initial probe was conducted by Delhi govt’s Anti-Corruption Branch. On the basis of this probe, the directorate of vigilance (DoV) sent a proposal for further investigation against the then education minister Sisodia and Public Works Department minister Jain.
Sources said the Union home ministry conveyed the President’s approval to investigate Sisodia and Jain through a letter to the office of the lieutenant governor.
Reacting to the development, Sisodia said he did not fear any probe in the matter. “It has come to my attention that the central govt has filed an FIR against me and Satyendar Jain regarding the construction of school buildings and classrooms. I want to tell BJP and the central govt to file as many cases as they want. Whether it is against me, Satyendar Jain, Atishi, Arvind Kejriwal or other AAP leaders, we will not bow down before BJP,” Sisodia said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the complaint, the total cost incurred for constructing the school rooms was around Rs 2,892 crore. It claimed that the tender awarded for the per room construction was around Rs 24.86 lakh, when such a classroom could have been easily built for around Rs 5 lakh.
DoV examined the ACB probe report and observed that the construction cost of classrooms in different zones and districts of the education department was revised despite the expenditure and finance committee’s clear instructions in its first meeting in Oct 2015 that no change would be considered in future. It added that the construction was not completed within the prescribed deadline of June 2016 and in some cases, general financial rules were not followed, thus giving undue advantage to contractors. DoV also noted that that deviation in expenditure wasn’t approved by the competent authority in violation of the guidelines of central vigilance commission, which also examined similar complaints revealing “glaring irregularities and violation” of CPWD work manual and GFR 2005.
DoV, in its recommendation to the President, the competent authority, said, “That administrative department failed to check some aspects and there can be some hidden facts and evidence in the matter that attracts an enquiry in the matter. Hence, to unearth the lapses committed in the matter, in-depth inquiry/investigation is required in the matter.”
Officials said ACB submitted its proposal for investigation in Nov 2021, but the file was returned by DoV due to certain “discrepancies”. ACB sent a fresh proposal in Feb 2023. DoV examined it before it was forwarded to the home ministry through LG for the President’s clearance to investigate the former ministers.
“Since the matter is related to the then ministers of education and PWD, the proposal is not required to be routed through National Capital Civil Services Authority and may be submitted directly to LG, who may like to give his recommendations in the matter before referring the matter to the Union home ministry/competent authority,” DoV said in separate recommendations for probes against Sisodia and Jain.
Mayank Rawat
