State Information Commissioner (SIC) Hafiz Usman ordered Commissioner of Saharanpur to probe into irregularities made by a local Madarsa to avail benefit of scholarship and other government financial help. The said Madarsa reportedly made considerable money by organising classes from 1 to 5 without any recognition.
On Saturday, the SIC sad that a social activist filed an application under RTI Act with ADM (Finance) at Saharanpur seeking to know about action taken against District Minority Welfare Officer of Saharanpur, Amanullah Khan, who was involved in illegal disbursement of financial help to the Madarsa.
Usman said that when the activist failed to get any reply after repeated reminders, he filed an appeal in his court in this connection. The SIC later directed Saharanpur officials to furnish the details but when no one responded, he summoned ADM (Finance), who sent one of his officer Pushpendra Singh to reply to the queries.
The SIC said that Singh informed that they received a complaint that Madarsa Talim-ul-jadid in Deoband had gained financially by claiming honorarium for teachers and scholarship for children from class 1 to class 8, even as the Madarasa had recognition from class 6th to 8th. Singh also disclosed a committee was set up comrpising Tehsildar of Deoband and Block Education Officer of Deoband and others. As per the initial findings, the Madarsa gave fake information to get government benefits including scholarship amount for 87 students.
Usman said that after finding that District Minority Welfare Officer of Saharanpur facilitated the irregularities and to confirm whether more such Madarsas were illegally getting government benefits, he asked Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur to probe the entire matter and submit a report within a month so that legal action could be initiated against the guilty.