The government has ordered a detailed investigation of the irregularities in the centrally funded scholarship scheme run for students of minority community studying in various schools and educational institutions of the state. Secretary Minority Welfare Dhiraj Singh Garbyal has asked all the District Magistrates to complete the investigation and submit the report within a month. According to the Secretary, if financial irregularities are confirmed in the investigation, an FIR will be registered. After some institutions and schools were found suspicious in the analysis of the National Scholarship Portal, the Secretary ordered a detailed investigation in more than 90 institutions and schools. Most of these institutions are in Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Nainital districts. In this regard, the Secretary of the Minority Department has sent a letter to all the District Magistrates. In this, it has been asked to form a team under the chairmanship of SDM and conduct an investigation. This committee will have the concerned Block Education Officer, Assistant Minority Welfare and Assistant Social Welfare Officer. The committee will provide the investigation report within a month. Action will be taken against the culprits on this basis.
Ministry suspects scholarship allocation from 2021 to 2023
Through the Union Ministry of Minority Welfare, students of minority community get scholarships for technical and professional courses, post-high school and pre-high school. The ministry analyzed the years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 through the National Scholarship Portal. In this, many schools and institutions were found suspicious. After this, the ministry sent a letter, in which it directed to conduct a detailed investigation of the concerned institutions and take legal action against the personnel found guilty in the investigation. A minute of the meeting of the ministry has also been sent along with the letter. Along with this, a list of suspicious schools and institutions has also been sent district wise. It has also been said that an inquiry committee should be formed under the chairmanship of Deputy District Magistrates in relation to the irregularities and fraud in the scholarship schemes run for minority students.
Instructions for action if irregularities are found in physical inspection
The Ministry has said in its letter that if any fraud or misuse of funds is found in schools and educational institutions during physical inspection, then details of what action should be taken have been given. For example, in government schools/institutions, where all the applicants including the head of the institution and the nodal officer of the institution were found to be fake, FIR should be registered against such culprits under the appropriate law. Along with this, an action taken report has also been sought from the government in this entire matter on the prescribed format.
