A day after Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka sought an inquiry in the controversy embroiling State Education Department, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday ordered an independent inquiry “to get into the bottom of the case”.
The inquiry would be conducted by recently retired Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice AN Jindal “into all alleged aspects particularly relating to the purchase of school library books for primary and upper primary, science kits and supply of map masters”.
At the same time, Badal also indicated that any decision would be taken after “meticulous” scrutiny of official record with due care and deliberation.
The decision for independent probe came after Maluka himself offered to face any independent enquiry at the level of the Chief Minister by the third party following the series of irregularities in the School Education Department fixed him a tight spot for his alleged involvement.
Known to be close to Badal family, Maluka is facing charges of irregularities in the purchase of books, science kits and other laboratory kits in the department.
Earlier, while replying to a query at Seechewal in Jalandhar where Badal was present to attend a function, he said that already the officers of the Education department have been asked to submit the entire case pertaining to the alleged irregularities in the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikhya Abhiyan (RMSA).
Maluka, on the other hand, denied all charges a day before, claiming that he acted within his right. He also denied the charges that any favouritism has been shown to any firm.
Sources disclosed that it was at Chief Minister’s instance that Maluka held a Press conference where the Director General School Education (DGSE) was not present-indicating differences between the two.