House searched, documents seized
Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Mar 4: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today registered a case against M S Choudhary, then Director Tribal Affairs J&K son of Late Sattar Din, a resident of village Fatehpur Rajouri (now posted as CEO/MD State Procurement & Supplies Agency RDD J&K); Ali Hassan Raza, then Director Tribal Affairs J&K (now retired from services), private beneficiary namely Nasreen Qadir D/o Abdul Qadir R/o Old Janipur Jammu, Proprietor of M/s International Computer Training Centre Rajouri and other officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department.
The case was registered on the outcome of verification conducted by ACB into the allegations that Director Tribal Affairs J&K while implementing post-Matric scholarship (a GoI sponsored) scheme, entitled for ST candidates, indulged in gross violation of guidelines and released crores of rupees to un-recognized institutes for un-recognized courses etc, an official handout said.
During the course of verification, it surfaced that the objective behind post-Matric scholarship scheme was to provide financial assistance to Scheduled Tribes students studying at post matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable them to complete their education and reimburse compulsory fee to the students charged by the recognized Institute.
However, contrary to that, accused public servants in league with other officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department J&K and Nasreen Qadir, Proprietor M/s International Computer Training Centre Rajouri, released payments directly to the tune of Rs. 60,17,400 in favour of the beneficiary firm i.e, International Computer Training Centre Rajouri for the year 2011 to 2013 and 2014 to 2017.
It also came to fore that 24 Scheduled Tribe students were same against whom, the Training Institute had also received payment from Social Welfare Department Rajouri on account of imparting computer training under Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan (SCA to TSP) Scheme.
It further surfaced during investigation that an additional amount of Rs 6,67,000 was sanctioned/released in favour of 290 ST students as maintenance allowance by M.S. Choudhary, then Director Tribal Affairs, under the PMS Scheme, who were not entitled for the same. Further, International Computer Training Centre Rajouri, was registered only to impart the training in courses strictly under Skill Development Initiative Scheme launched by Ministry of Labour & Employment implemented in J&K through Director Technical Education, who too intimated that the said institute has not conducted any course under the said scheme from its date of registration till April, 2019.
By acting in this way, the accused Directors Tribal Affairs J&K along with other officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department J&K, by abuse of their official positions and in connivance with Nasreen Qadir for their pecuniary gains by manipulating record and violating the guidelines of post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, have misappropriated the Government money to the tune of Rs. 66,84,400 with subsequent loss to the exchequer.
Anti-Corruption Bureau after registration of a formal case under relevant Sections of law, also conducted simultaneous raids with the help of local police/Magistrates /independent witnesses at residences of then Director Tribal Affairs MS Choudhary situated in district Rajouri and at his official residence in Trikuta Nagar Jammu also.
During the process, incriminating documents were recovered in presence of independent witnesses. Detailed and in-depth scrutiny of the seized record will be carried out during further course of investigation.
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