VB to probe Rs 6.5 cr school board scam

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, January 19

Smelling a rat in the bulk purchase of paper bought by the Punjab School Education Board for printing schoolbooks, the Punjab government on Tuesday handed over investigations into the matter to the state’s Vigilance Bureau (VB).

About 7,000 tonnes of paper, worth Rs 38 crore, was purchased in 2013. The committee responsible for the purchase, according to the complainant, had delayed the opening of tenders by three days. This had led to cost escalation by approximately Rs 6.5 crore.

Although the irregularities were flagged by a senior board official in a letter to the Secretary, Department of Education, in December, the complaint was sent to Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal by advocate HC Arora.

The Chief Secretary directed the VB to take “appropriate action after preliminary verification of the record”, sources said. Kaushal couldn’t be contacted.

The complainant alleged that the board’s tender committee purchased Meplitho paper for Rs 38.01 crore on September 3, 2013, which could have otherwise been bought for Rs 31 crore, if purchased by August 31, 2013.

Whereas the process to purchase the stock was initiated on July 8, 2013, the tenders were opened after two months on September 3, 2013.

Pointing out that the “date of opening of tenders appears to have been deliberately delayed”, the complainant alleged that as per the prices fixed by the Director General of Supplies and Disposals (DGSD), the upper price limit of the white Meplitho paper was Rs 43,972 per tonne or Rs 43.97 per kg. The cap on the upper price limit was applicable till August 31, 2013.

“Even if the cost of carriage was included, this would not have been more than Rs 45 per kg. However, the paper was purchased at Rs 54.30 per kg, just three days after the upper cap limit had lapsed. This has led to a financial loss of Rs 6.5 crore”, reads the complaint. 

The school board chairperson, Dr Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, said, “The go-ahead for the purchase was given by a committee comprising top officials of the departments of education, finance and audit. For the first time in 2013, the board executed purchases through e-tendering. The entire process was transparent.”