Now Rs 22-cr scam in Punjab, vocational training providers favoured

Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 12

Five officials of the Technical Education Department of Punjab are under the scanner for irregular payments of Rs 22 crore to private vocational training providers (VTP) imparting ‘modular employable skills’ to job-seekers. This comes even as the state government is yet to conclude its inquiry into bogus SC scholarships claimed through the department by several ITIs.

VTP centres were registered without the mandatory verification of their infrastructure. Also, the beneficiary students’ qualifications were not authenticated. The payments were made for the training imparted under short-term employable skill courses run between April 2012 and May 2014.

The anomaly came to light following an inquiry by the state Vigilance Bureau, which sent a report to the Technical Education Department. DK Tewari, Secretary, said he had sent the report to the department head for action. The Vigilance Bureau has suggested a thorough verification before releasing pending payments of Rs 18 crore.

The expose comes at a time when the state government is conducting a special audit to verify allegations of fake admissions and bogus SC post-matric scholarship claims by educational institutions during the SAD-BJP government. An audit by the CAG had pointed to discrepancies in the disbursement of scholarships.

Under the Skill Development Initiative Scheme of the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the state is entrusted with the verification and approval of VTPs before clearing payments from the Centre.

Of the 80,000 admissions made during the two years, at least 36,000 enrolments were done without following due procedure. The officials reportedly authenticated 60 batches of more than 20 students each in a single day, which would not be humanly possible if due procedure was followed. During checking of records of 14 VTP centres, including eight approved by the suspect officials without clearance, the Vigilance Bureau spotted 47 candidates for  whom payments had been claimed in multiple courses. 

5 Punjab officials face investigation

• 80,000 admissions made, 36,000 were without following due procedure
• VTP centres registered without verification of their infra
• Beneficiary students’ qualifications not authenticated
• Officials authenticated 60 batches of more than 20 students a day!