Centre asks CAG to probe Rs 15 cr education fraud in Andhra

New Delhi, Apr 22 (UNI) The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) will carry out a special audit in connection with the diversion of funds amounting to about Rs 15 crore of the District Primary Education Programme/Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) of Andhra Pradesh, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

An amount of Rs 14,98,03,378 had been diverted to unauthorised bank accounts by the Assistant Accounts Officer of SSA Society, Andhra Pradesh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development M A A Fatmi said in a written reply.

An FIR was lodged by the SSA office with the City Central Crime Station on April 2 last year, and subsequently, the state government transferred the case to CID for further investigation.

The state government has also appointed a retired Judge of the High Court to probe into all aspects of embezzlement, including the circumstances or the lapses which led to embezzlement and to fix the responsibility on the persons allegedly involved.

Three Accounts officials have been suspended and another three transferred out of the State Project Office of SSA/DPEP.

The Centre has requested the CAG to carry out the audit of accounts pertaining to DPEP and SSA for the period from 2000-01 till date through the Andhra Pradesh State Accountant General (Audit) to ascertain the veracity of accounts, Mr Fatmi said.

UNI NAZ RP PM1910