Chandigarh: The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab dismissed six officials found involved in the £3.9 million SC Post-Matric Scholarship scam.
Confirming the development, a senior functionary stated that four officials were from the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities and two worked in the Finance Department.
Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, a former minister of social justice, empowerment, and minorities in the Congress-led administration of Capt. Amarinder Singh, was in office when the scam first came to light.
An investigation pointed out that instructions of the then CM for disbursement of scholarship to SC students were ignored and undue benefits given to private institutes.
Rather than taking approval from the Finance Department for a re-audit of 14 institutes, errant officials extended undue benefits to other institutions as well.
Those dismissed include Parminder Singh Gill, Deputy Director; Charanjit Singh, Deputy Controller; Mukesh Bhatia, Section Officer; Rajinder Chopra, Superintendent; and Rakesh Arora and Baldev Singh, both senior assistants. Both Charanjit and Rakesh have retired.
The dismissal order was passed by Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Dr Baljit Kaur.
According to the departmental investigation, the then-directives CM's for the distribution of scholarships to SC students were disregarded, and certain private institutions received improper benefits. Benefits worth millions of dollars were given to the negligent institutes instead of pursuing action against them. Errant officials added the names of more institutions to extend unjust benefits to them as well, rather than obtaining consent from the Finance Department for a re-audit of 14 institutes.