ST scholarships: ACB books Former Director, Tribal Affairs, others for corruption

9 October 2024

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Srinagar, Oct 9: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case against officials including former director of Tribal Affairs Department over alleged misappropriation of funds worth crores, thereby causing huge loss to government exchequer.

In a statement, issued to media, ACB said that the case has been filed against Mohammad Sharief Choudhary, then Director Tribal Affairs J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Wani, then Assistant Director, Gulzar Hussain, then Junior Assistant, Javed Ahmed, then Incharge Computer Assistant, Shaheen Naqishbandi, then head assistant and other officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department J&K, Mohd. Javaid (owner of M/S National Computer Institute Surankot, Poonch & M/S Infotech Institute of Computers, Poonch), Mohd Farooq (owner of M/S Techno Park College of Professional Studies, Rajouri), Mohd Shakeel (owner of M/S M.S.Khan Computer Institute, Rajouri), Muddasir Ahmed (owner of M/S NESSOW Institute Surankot Poonch vide FIR No. 05/2024 U/S 5(1)(c)(d) r/w section 5(2) of J&K PC Act, Svt. 2006 & section 120-B RPC ’on 09.10.2024.

The statement reads that the instant case was registered on the outcome of a verification conducted by this bureau to look into the allegations that directorate of Tribal Affairs J&K while implementing post-matric scholarship sponsored scheme entitled for ST candidates, indulged in gross violation of guidelines and released crores of funds to unrecognised institutes for unrecognised courses etc.

“The verification conducted revealed that the Government of India launched post-matric scholarship scheme to ST candidates to complete their education by way of providing financial assistance in the shape of scholarship amounting Rs 18,000/ per student plus Rs 2300 maintenance allowance,” it reads.

It added that the objective behind the scholarship scheme was to provide financial assistance to ST students studying at post matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable them to complete their education and reimburse of compulsory fee to the students charged by recognized Institute.

It further reads that the officials of the department without checking the genuineness of the institutes as well as infrastructure/course contents provided by institutes, even without ensuring the end use of scholarship amount and guidelines, disbursed the scholarship fee of about Rs. 1,66,20,000 during 2014 to 2018 directly in the bank accounts of the institutes namely M/S National Computer Institute, M/S NESSOW Institute, M/S Infotech Institute of I.tech Management, M/S Technopark College of professional & technical, and M/S M.S Khan Computer Institute.

“The verification conducted further revealed that even one of the institutes namely M/S NESSOW computer institute was not having proper accreditation with NIELIT or other recognised body, but the department of disbursed the scholarship fees amounting Rs. 33,30,000 to this institute also. Whereas, the rest of four institutes having accreditation with NIELIT, have not got conducted the examination of the candidates through NIELIT, rather issued the course certificates by itself, having no value, thereby defeated the very purpose of post matric scholarship scheme.”

It added that besides the course contents and duration of CHM “O” level and “O” level, provided by NIELIT was different from the course contents provided by Institutes on the diploma issued by the Institutes. By acting in this manner, the officers/officials namely Mohd Sharief Choudhary, then Director Tribal Affairs J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Wani, then Assistant Director, Gulzar Hussain, then Junior Assistant, Javed Ahmed, then Incharge Computer Assistant, Shaheen Naqishbandi, then Head Assistant, having prescribed duties, by abuse of their official positions and in lieu of criminal conspiracy hatched among themselves as well as with beneficiaries namely Mohd Javaid S/O Lal Hussain R/O Gunthel Tehsil Surankote, Poonch (owner of National Computer Institute Surankot, Poonch & Infotech Institute of Computers, Poonch), Mohd Farooq S/O Mohd Abdullah R/O Village Dodaj Sabzi Tehsil Darhal Rajouri (owner of Techno Park College of Professionals studies, Rajouri), Mohd Shakeel S/O Mohd Jameel R/O Manjakote, Rajouri (owner of M.S.Khan Computer Institute, Rajouri) & Muddasir Ahmed S/O Ghulam Mohd Bhat R/O Near High School Shamspora, Bijbehara Anantnag (owner of NESSOW Institute Surankot Poonch), as well as others, by way of manipulating record as well as violating guidelines of the scheme, misappropriated government funds to the tune of Rs 1,66,20,000 as a result of which a huge loss has been caused to government exchequer which prima-facie constitute offences of punishable U/S 5(1)(c)(d) r/w section 5(2) of J&K PC Act, Svt. 2006 & section 120-B RPC. Accordingly, case FIR No. 05/2024 is registered in P/S ACB Rajouri and the investigation of the case is taken up—(KNO)