Fake madarsas have mushroomed iun west Uttar Pradesh using the name of one registered unitm ar the organisers have been siphoned off government grants worth several crores by organisers in cahoots with officials of Minority Welfare department (MWD). The blatant fact surafced through a querry filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
After going through the conetnts of an application, State Information Commissioner (SIC) Hafiz Usman, has ordered the Secretary of the MWD to probe the matter and report within a month so that action could be initiated action against the errants and the siphoned off grants could be recovered.
Talking to `The Pioneer’ on Friday afternoon, the SIC said that a complainant from west UP filed an appeal in his court informing him of a well organised syndicate operating in several towns through registered madarsa owners in connivance with willing MWD officials.
The RTI activist sought information from the MWD on the number of registered madarsas operating in Moradabad, Sambhal and Amroha, how many were covered under Central and UP government scheme of modernization, how many teachers were appointed, the amount of grant sanctioned under various schemes etc besides seeking details of madarsas run under Minority Educational Society.
When the District Minority Welfare Officer refused to provide any information, the matter came up for hearing before the SIC.
During the hearing, sensational facts came up on how government funds were swindled. Several madarsas were found to be running on papers. In some cases, while one madarsa was registered but grants were sanctioned to several claiming them to be 'branches'. Also, names of teachers working in the madarsas were found to be fictitious.
After these revelations, the SIC summoned District Minority Welfare Officer of Moradabad but he tried to conceal facts to protect the `syndicate’. later, the SIC ordered Secretary of MWD to probe the matter thraedbare and submit a report at the earliest. The SIC opined that several crore rupees have been siphoned off by the officials and madarsas owner adopting the modus oeprandi.
