Heat on TMC govt. over scheme irregularities, Governor’s missive

So far, at least 10 people from Malda and Uttar Dinajpur districts have been arrested on charges of wrongfully siphoning funds allocated for tablets for the State’s higher secondary students

IThe Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is facing fresh challenges with reports of irregularities in the distribution of funds for the ‘tablet scheme’ surfacing and Governor C.V. Ananda Bose seeking a report on the allegations made by the accused in the R.G. Kar rape-and-murder case.

Under the ‘Taruner Swapna’ (dreams of the youth) scheme, the Mamata Banerjee government had planned to transfer Rs. 10,000 each to the bank accounts of Class 10 and Class 11 students as financial assistance towards purchasing tablets, smartphones, or PCs. Ms. Banerjee had announced the first tablet scheme on December 3, 2020, initially naming it Tablet Scheme 2021.

So far, at least 10 people from Malda and Uttar Dinajpur districts have been arrested on charges of wrongfully siphoning funds allocated for tablets for higher secondary students via the State Education Department’s online portal.

The irregularities have come to the fore across multiple districts, with beneficiaries and government officials claiming wrongful fund diversion, double disbursement to certain accounts, or delay in disbursements.

In one instance, nearly 5,000 students from multiple State-run schools in Murshidabad district were allegedly sent the grant twice. In another instance, hundreds of beneficiaries in districts like Purba Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, Birbhum, and Malda alleged that they have not received the grant. In yet another instance, funds meant for seven beneficiaries of a school in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district were allegedly transferred and withdrawn from bank accounts in the Uttar Dinajpur district.

“Investigations are going on and arrests have already been made. The National Informatics Centre has been asked to examine the situation and they have proposed an SoP to identify the hackers. No guilty person will be spared,” West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu said on Tuesday.

On Monday, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant conducted a meeting on this issue at the State Secretariat with the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of several districts along with officials of the Education Department.

According to police sources, funds have been found to be siphoned to bank accounts in other States like Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, and sometimes to other districts in West Bengal different from the domicile of the beneficiaries.

‘Immediate report’

Meanwhile, with Ms. Banerjee away on her first visit to the Darjeeling hills in two years, Governor Bose has urged the State government to inform him about the factual position on the allegations of Sanjay Roy at the earliest. Facing charges of rape and murder of a junior doctor, on Monday he alleged a conspiracy to frame him by senior police officers, including former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, before media persons present on the court premises where he was being produced.

A press statement from Raj Bhavan media cell said the Governor has asked for an “immediate report” from the Chief Minister.

Published - November 13, 2024 10:31 pm IST