New Delhi: Union government will investigate the alleged multi-crore post-matric scholarship scam of Punjab after the MoS Industry and Commerce wrote letter requesting an enquiry into the matter.
Union Minister for Social justice and empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot has asked senior officials from ministry to send a report on the alleged scam.
The investigation into Punjab’s post-matric scholarship scheme scam has held that the state's social justice, empowerment and minorities minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and his team of officers worked in tandem and caused the loss of crores to the government.
The Union government had in February and March 2019 sent a total amount of Rs 303 crore to the Punjab government under the post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Castes and the state directorate of social justice withdrew Rs 248 crore from the treasury and this amount was distributed in an arbitrary manner.
MoS Industry and Commerce and MP from Punjab Som Prakash had taken up the matter with the Union government and Punjab government. He had written a letter to Union Minister for Social justice and empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot and Punjab CM Capt Amrinder Singh and requested an enquiry into the matter where funds allocated for poor students was misused by a state cabinet minister and officials.
"I had written a letter to Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and Punjab CM for enquiry in this student scholarship scam. Today Union minister informed me that a team of two senior officials is constituted. This team will study the report filed by Additional Secy to Punjab Chief Secy. Gehlot has ensured me that the Union government will investigate this matter and justice will be given to Dalit students."
Also, an amount of Rs 16.91 crore was paid to such institutions against which the audit teams had recommended recovery of Rs 8 crore.
The 33-page inquiry report is submitted by Kripa Shankar Saroj, additional chief secretary of Dharamsot’s own department, to Punjab’s Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan.
"I will keep highlighting these matters until justice is delivered to poor students and victim families," added Som Parkash.
