Ajit Jogi alleges multi-crore scam in Digital Education under ICT scheme
| Date :22-Jul-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
RAIPUR
Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) Founder President Ajit Jogi has alleged multi-crore scam in the implementation of Digital Education Programme under Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The scam has been alleged in the supply and commissioning of digital teaching learning resources and hardware for Digital Classrooms under ICT for 4,330 government schools in Chhattisgarh. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi alleged that the said scam has been carried out by officials while keeping Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in dark. In order to hush up the wrongdoings, the officials allegedly got the project kick started by the Chief Minister himself from the very school in village Marra under Patan Assembly segment, from where he had completed his school education, alleged Jogi. Supporting his allegations through various documents which he had sourced through Right to Information, Ajit Jogi alleged that at first the officials made the tendering norms so rigid that only two companies could participate in the Rs 350 crore tendering process for supply and commissioning of digital teaching learning resources and hardware for Digital Classrooms under ICT for 4330 government schools.
The norms were so rigid that reputed computer firms like IBM, Microsoft, etc couldn’t compete. Two companies, one Mini Ratna (Category 1) Central Public Sector Undertaking and one Private Ltd company participated in the tendering process. Accordingly, the two companies which participated in the tendering process were RailTel Corporation of India and Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd. Ironically, the contract was allocated to Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd in gross violation of the tendering criteria which states – Experience of implementing of one project of similar nature costing not less than Rs 100 crore, alleged Jogi. Jogi alleged that despite Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd not fulfilling requisite criteria was allocated the contract on the basis of inept documents, thus violating norms laid under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan, said Jogi. Whereas, the department while disregarding the eight representations by other participators which was the RailTel Corporation of India and Probit Plus Pvt Ltd, allegedly manipulated documents to benefit Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd and making it eligible for the contract, alleged Ajit Jogi.
Ajit Jogi while adding that he would write to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel highlighting the scam and urge him to carry out a detailed investigation through Economic Offence Wing in the whole fiasco. Since central funding in involved in the ICT scheme, Jogi said he would also write to Prime Minister urging him to carry out investigation through competent central agency. He said the role of officials in the implementation of this scheme is under suspicion. P Dayanand, Managing Director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan and Director, State Council for Educational Research and Training, while talking to The Hitavada, refuted the charges leveled by former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi. He said the whole project is being undertaken under the guidance and supervision of Principal Secretary School Education. Companies who had participated in the tendering process for the ICT project were scrutinised properly and tender has been allocated to the company fulfilling all norms. He further added that consortium of committees had been constituted for implementation of the project, had also scrutinised the tender bids and recommended the said company, to whom the work has been allocated.