IMPHAL, January 29: Education minister M Okendro has clarified that the allegations about the misuse of Rs 284 crore released by Union ministry of human resource development for 2012-13 and subsequent cessation of assistance for the financial year 2013-14 is totally baseless. The minister also refuted the charges that the fund was wrongly deposited in the account of the engineering wing against the guidelines of SSA.
The allegation was made by an organization from Dewlaland based in the hill district, said Okendro. It is very unfortunate that we are looking for positive changes in the education sector and such allegations could undo the hard works by the department, he added.
He further said that ministry released a sum of Rs 100 crore for taking up different construction works in 2012-13. Out of the sum, Rs 24 crores approximately was released to the engineering wing of the education department for construction of 10 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and nine residential schools and the step is permissible under SSA norms.
Minister further said that another sum of Rs 14 crore approximately was released to concerned SMDCs as second instalment for construction of additional classroom. Another construction could not progress due to a pending court case.
He further clarified that the construction by the committees comprising of local MLAs but not through SMDC. He said that there is no committee for construction comprising of local MLAs. Construction executed through SMDCs only was done as per the norms of SSA.
M Okendro further clarified that there is no shortfall in the release of state matching share for the years 2013-14. The SSA, SMA received Rs 6.33 crore as the state matching share for the current year.
He further said that the allegation of wrong fund utilisation in other works not related to SSA is baseless.
He further said that government of Manipur has properly looked after the SSA programme through Assembly constituency level monitoring and supervision committee (ACLMSC) under the supervision Department of Education (S).