Madhya Pradesh Opposition leader of the Congress Ajay Singh, filed a complaint with the CBI on Monday, alleging that Rs13.28 crore was allotted by the MP Government, to benefit an organisation, to purchase a magazine meant to be distributed in Government schools, in violation of norms.
The magazine is associated with Vidya Bharti, which is affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). However, Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Archana Chitnis termed the allegations as “totally baseless” and claimed that all rules were followed in the selection and purchase of the magazine, in a hurriedly called Press conference at the MP BJP office.
The MP Education Department felicitated a tripartite agreement between Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Saraswati Bal Kalyan Nyas —the Indore-based publishers of the magazine and a bank for the magazine’s purchase for a 15-year period, she said. After submitting the complaint to CBI SP Yatindra Koyal along with documents, MP Assembly Opposition leader Ajay Singh alleged that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had misused Rs19.20 crore allotted under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to benefit an organisation associated with the RSS.
Ajay Singh alleged that out of the total Rs19.20 crore meant for reading development head under the Abhiyan, the MP CM allotted Rs13.20 crore to an RSS-affiliated organisation publishing Devputra magazine and 50 per cent advance was also paid to it for the purpose. He claimed that the secretary of the Education Department noted in the note sheet for the order that the purchase committee of the Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan had not approved the proposal for the purchase.
later, in the evening, School Education Minister Archana Chitnis, while talking to mediapersons claimed that the State Government has complete right to purchase any book. “We are not required to seek permission from anybody in this regard,” she added.
She also claimed that in the subscription of the book, all the rules and regulations were followed; however, she could not clarify as how the rules of selecting book were followed.