Why raid on Ghubaya’s college alone?

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 7

The vigilance raid yesterday at a private college owned by the family of the Akali MP Sher Singh Ghubaya has brought into focus the pick-and-choose policy of the SAD-BJP government in targeting private educational institutions that are alleged to have usurped the scholarship funds meant for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC).

A probe report of the Social Welfare Department had listed the Ghubaya College of Engineering and Technology at Fazilka among the 350 colleges that are under the scanner for claiming scholarships (nearly Rs100 crore) of non-existing students.

But several prominent educational institutions, in which politicians from the SAD and Congress have a stake, have been left alone.

The raid came amid reports of Davinder Ghubaya, son of the Ferozepur MP Ghubaya, joining the Congress.

Sources said though the report was submitted to CM Parkash Singh Badal over two months ago, vigilance officials looked at the fund details of the college two days ago.

Now, in an apparent indication of rapprochement with the SAD leadership, Davinder said, “I am unaware of the reasons behind the raid. We are not going anywhere.”

Gulzar Singh Ranike, Minister for Welfare of SCs and BCs, said the raid has nothing to do with the departmental action against the erring institutions. “We are acting against the erring institutions,” said the minister.

Sources said there was pressure on the government to release the scholarship amount that had been withheld by the department for 2014-15 and 2015-16.