Exposed: The Rs 2,000 Cr Delhi School Scam Unveiled
Large-scale Classroom Scandal: Rs 2,000 Crore Fraud Allegation; FIR Filed against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain by ACB.
Get the latest scoop here, straight from the streets of India!
Delhi's Ex-Deputy CM and Ex-PWD Minister Slapped with FIR Over Rs 2,000 Cr Infrastructure Project Irregularities
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi Government has served a swift punch, filing an FIR against Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and ex-PWD Minister Satyendar Jain for alleged financial shenanigans relating to a mammoth school infrastructure project. The suspicious activities have been under the radar for quite some time, with estimated financial irregularities amounting to a whopping Rs 2,000 crores. The FIR has been greenlit after the approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This action followed a red flag raised in a 2020 report published by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which disclosed some shady dealings in the project that seemed curiously ignored for three long years.
Just 'Cause They're in Power, Doesn’t Mean They’re Untouchable
The concerns revolve around the construction of around 12,700 classrooms during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration. The investigating officers accusingly point fingers at the recruitment of consultants and architects without adhering to the usual procurement processes, sneakily causing the massive cost inflation. Remarkably, not a single classroom was completed on schedule. The finance committee had explicitly instructed to avoid excessive costs, but it seems their instructions went unheeded.
The 'Whitewashed' CVC Report
The CVC report, published in February 2020, had major concerns that remain unaddressed. It alleged the project officers of defying norms and regulations of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). Shockingly, the final cost of some classrooms was comparable to the costs of permanent Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures, which are designed to last up to 75 years. However, this particular project involves semi-permanent structures with a lifespan of just 30 years.
A Fistful of Lies and A Few BJP Whistleblowers
The complaints against the AAP were first brought to light by BJP's Manoj Tiwari in 2019. He alleged that the cost per classroom skyrocketed to 28 lakhs, far exceeding the standard cost of Rs 5 lakh for construction. What's more, he claimed that most of the contractors were closely linked to the AAP, fueling speculations of bias and corruption.
In its ongoing investigation, the ACB has put 19 out of 25 school zones under immediate scrutiny, while the rest, including defense, construction materials, and farm produce, are being probed in the second phase. Stay tuned for all the juicy details as this scandalous story continues to unfold!
[1] ‘CVC report alleges Rs 2,000 cr corruption in school infrastructure project in Delhi’, Indian Express, 26 Feb 2020
[2] ‘Video: AAP school scam: Delhi ACB files FIR against Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain’, Hindustan Times, 21 Jan 2023
[3] ‘Corruption in AAP ruled Delhi: BJP writes to LG over school scam worth Rs 2,000 crores’, Live Hindustan, 21 Jan 2023
[4] ‘Delhi bureaucrats to seek Law department's view on AAP school project report in limbo since 2020’, Indian Express, 21 Jan 2023
[5] ‘Delhi’s Chief Technical Examiner’s Report Flagged Serious Irregularities in School Expansion Project: CVC Report’, News18, 26 Feb 2020
- Despite their political power, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has filed an FIR against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, former Deputy Chief Minister and ex-PWD Minister of Delhi, for alleged financial manipulations related to a school infrastructure project costing an inflated Rs 2,000 crores.
- The Finance Committee had outlined the need to avoid excessive costs during the construction of around 12,700 classrooms during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration, but there were reports of cost inflation, potentially due to the recruitment of consultants and architects without following standard procurement processes.
- Remarkably, not a single classroom was completed on schedule, and the final cost of some classrooms was comparable to RCC structures, designed to last 75 years, despite the involved construction being semi-permanent structures with a lifespan of only 30 years.
- The tip-off about this potential corruption in school infrastructure projects was first brought forward by BJP's Manoj Tiwari in 2019, alleging that the cost per classroom rose to 28 lakhs when it should have stayed within the standard Rs 5 lakh construction range, and suggesting connections between the AAP and most of the contractors, fueling accusations of bias and corruption.
- The ACB has initiated a probe, scrutinizing 19 out of 25 school zones in the first phase, with the remaining zones, including defense, construction materials, and farm produce, under investigation in the second phase.
- This controversy involving financial irregularities in Delhi's school infrastructure project has been a topic of general-news and crime-and-justice debates, with various reports alleging corruption and regulatory failures since 2020.
