More skeletons tumble out of cupboard

Authorities are slow to act against perpetrators of the scandal

​Hyderabad: More details are emerging in Madarsa scandal even as the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) officials are slow in processing the file. No complaint has been lodged against former District Educational Officer M Somi Reddy.

Shocking details in the alleged scandal have emerged from a letter, (the copy of which is with The Hands India) written to the Chairman of the State Minority Commission by the State Project Director of SS A G Kishan, in August 2016.

The letter had revealed a consolidated report of the findings of SSA in Hyderabad district. It showed that not just 16 Madarsas were fake but also found 42 more Madarsas were non-existent during the inspection. Yet, SSA officials continued to insist that irregularities had taken place only in to 16 Madarsas.

According to the letter, the then Project Officer, M Somi Reddy, submitted records showing that 202 Madarsas were functioning in the district. Of these, 16 Madarsas were directly found to be fake, while the SSA officials visited 187 Madarsas in which 42 Madarsas were found non-existent.

The letter written by Kishan showed that only 122 Madarsas had furnished the information sought by the department. It further showed that Madarsas had shown the strength of students as 26,345, while the actual enrolment as per visit report of the SSA officials was only 14,021.

The State Project Director also said in the letter that the number of Vidya Volunteers had been shown in Madarsa records as 869, whereas the actual strength according to visit reports was only 659.

In view of the findings, the SSA proposed to install biometric attendance system for Madarsas. But, the proposal had been simply dumped and Somi Reddy continued to release funds for 869 Vidya volunteers every month.

Sources said the Regional Joint Director of School Education, Additional State Project Director and also the State Project Director of SSA were aware of the gross irregularities and corrupt activities. Yet, they had not acted despite strict instructions from the government.

Now, the new DEO-cum-PO, G Ramesh, took note of the mess created by his predecessor and initiated action against some officials. He suspended a few officials under his control and recommended action against others.

He also sought approval of the District Collector for lodging a criminal case with the police in connection with the scandal. Sources said approval of the District Collector was not at all required since the DSE-cum-SPD, Kishan, had already given instructions for lodging a complaint.

Ironically, action against Somi Reddy can be taken only by the Director of School Education, who is none other than Kishan. But he chose to look the other way as Somi Reddy continued his irregularities, sources said.

Further, one Additional Joint Collector, who worked in Hyderabad district during Somi Reddy’s tenure, was also said to have been blamed. Meanwhile, one of the SSA officials, Yogender, a trusted assistant of Somi Reddy, is reported to have gone into hiding along with the original records relating to Madarsa scandal. The SSA officials repeated attempts to get to him failed.

RTI activists demand that the SSA officials file a criminal case with the Central Crime Station (CCS) without any delay requesting the police to investigate into the irregularities in depth and bring to book all the perpetrators of the scam to protect the interest of poor Muslim children.