6 more involved in Rs 105-crore SCERT scam

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The involvement of six others in the Rs 105-crore SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) fund misappropriation has come to light. The six also include the kin of suspended SCERT Director-in-Charge Sewali Devi Sarma, besides SCERT officials.

The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (SVC), which is probing into the alleged financial anomalies in the SCERT, has prepared its report. It will submit the report to the Chief Minister at any time, leading to the filing of a case against the accused.

According to sources in the Chief Minister’s SVC, the scam involves spending funds in the name of offering a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) course under the Open Distance Learning (ODL) system. The alleged financial irregularities took place from 2017 to 2022.

The sources reveal that the former SCERT Director in Charge gave most of the contracts to her family members, including her in-laws. What is more surprising, according to the sources, is that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) numbers of many of these firms were fake.

According to the sources, the involved officials include a former SCERT deputy director, an accountant, a dealing assistant, and a fourth-grade employee.

Sewali Devi Sarma allegedly transferred funds from the official bank accounts to the accounts of other employees and then withdrew the money from those accounts. Sources also said that Sewali Devi Sarma flouted guidelines and rules and started 347 centres for the D.El.Ed. course under Open Distance Learning (ODL)—288 more than the number of centres for which the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had given permission. Most of these centres were allegedly fake ones.

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