SC/ST scholarship scam : Six new FIRs lodged

Dehradun, June 26 (HS) Three days after Uttarakhand’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by a senior officer of SP rank, probing into the multi-crore SC/ST scholarship scam, belonging to previous state Congress and BJP regimes, lodged six First Information Reports (FIRs) against eight private educational institutions. Police have launched a massive country-wide hunt to track those responsible for crime. “Since we have conclusive evidences of their involvement in the alleged irregularities worth Rs.3.18 crores, we will arrest their proprietors and others involved in the scam”,said a senior Dehradun based IPS officer.

He said most of these private educational institutions are based in Dehradun, Haridwar and Saharanpur (UP). These private educational institutions include privately owned and aided schools and intermediate colleges. Officials who inquired into the scam told India’s largest multilingual news agency Hindustan Samachar that since multi-crore scam was carried out allegedly with the tacit consent of top political functionaries of the time, it was very difficult to bring to light the culprits responsible for the crime. Gravity of the scam in state’s Social and Welfare department can be gauged from the fact that these private educational institutions alleged to have fraudulently managed to receive Rs.3.18 crores in their account in the name of SC/ST scholarship from the social welfare department.

The investigation by the SIT revealed that these institutions allegedly used forged documents to get the scholarship fund between 2011 and 2017. While then BJP rule had a stint between 2011 to 2012 before conclusion of assembly poll in March 2012, Congress establishment ruled from March 2012 to March 2017. This clearly indicates that most of SC/ST scholarship scam were carried out during then Congress regime in Uttarakhand. “Prima facie, we have found irregularities in the records of alleged institutions in getting the government fund (scholarship),” said Manjunath TC, head of SIT (Dehradun and Haridwar).These institutes are based in Dehradun, Haridwar, Unnao, and Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh).

It may be mentioned that demand for an independent probe into the scam of multi-crore SC/ST Scholarship fund in Uttarakhand during erstwhile Congress rule, headed by the then CMs Vijay Bahuguna and Harish Rawat between 2012 to February 2017, was made after it was alleged that irregularities into the scholarship fund was done on the tacit consent of a couple of top Congress leaders. The controversial issue was raised by the then opposition leaders in state assembly after alleged involvement of some officials in state social welfare department came to light.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand based social activists have demanded probe into alleged involvement of the then government and political functionaries in the scam. “SIT must extend their probe into extend of certain top political and government functionaries on whose alleged connivance scam was carried out”, said a Dehradun social activist.