After a senior IAS officer in the State flagged off several irregularities in the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE), including in the procurement of laptops for students and in the construction of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE), the State government has ordered a probe into the matter.
Chief Secretary Subhash Chandra Khuntia told The Hindu he received a complaint from M.N. Ajay Nagabhushan, who was recently transferred from the post of the Commissioner, DCE, regarding four issues. “We will get all these details examined and ask the department to submit a consolidated report about all the issues he has highlighted,” Mr. Khuntia said.
Sources in the government said though a committee had recommended that all laptops to be given for free to students in professional courses and degree colleges be procured through a single-package tender, the Commissioner had received a letter asking him to float a tender with four packages. “Calling for four packages will lead to a huge cost variation and increase the cost per laptop. The more the laptops we order, the lesser the cost per laptop would be,” an official involved in the laptop project said. The State government had promised laptops to 1.5 lakh students and the entire cost of the project is estimated to be ₹250 crore.
Another issue raised by Mr. Nagabhushan is regarding the release of funds for construction of a building for BASE. Although the government had initially approved ₹90 crore for the plan, ₹150 crore was approved for it. He had objected to this as he had alleged that due processes were not followed. In fact, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayaraddi had asked Mr. Nagabhushan to not interfere in the matter during a press conference earlier this month.
Among the other issues raised by Mr. Nagabhushan is the utilisation of ₹100 crore special development programme funds for development works in colleges.
Mr. Rayaraddi was unavailable for comments while Mr. Nagabhushan refused to speak on the matter.
