With the skeletons tumbling out of the cupboard exposing one after another scam in the Education Department, Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka on Sunday offered to face any inquiry by a “credible” independent third agency on the allegations of irregularities in purchase of school books.
At the same time, Maluka also ruled out tendering resignation from the Education Minister’s post. “I am ready to face an independent probe and will request Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to order a comprehensive inquiry…I do not want an eye wash in the form of an internal inquiry,” said confident Maluka.
“I will meet the Chief Minister and request him to get the matter inquired by any agency except the Education Department, to find out truth in the purchase of books and the culprit should be punished…including me,” said Maluka, while addressing the mediapersons.
Responding to a question about his resignation, he said, “It is the Chief Minister’s right…Unless you hold me responsible, how you could seek my resignationIJ”
Maluka’s Sunday Press conference came at a time when the Minister and his Department is under fire for alleged irregularities in the purchase of books for Government school libraries, ignoring procedures and rules.
Only a day before, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa had sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged “book scam” in the State Education Department and charged the Minister for misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 9.50 crore.
Turning the political tables on the Opposition Congress, Maluka asked Bajwa to demand similar probe into scams of the UPA Government at the Centre.
The Minister said that he had already ordered an inquiry by the Principal Secretary Education into the matter, and the further supply of books to schools has been stopped. Till now, the books worth Rs 22 lakh have been purchased from private publishers by 470 schools.
“The first inquiry conducted by Director General School Education (DGSE) has found some wrong doings...we will go to the bottom of the matter and the guilty will be punished,” he said.
A committee was constituted with a motive to suggest books at minimum rates, he said adding, and it was proposed that Government schools including primary and secondary ones would purchase 13,000 books.
“So far books worth Rs 22 lakh have been purchased by schools in Ropar and Hoshiarpur,” Maluka said.
Asked about the purchase of science lab kits, he said the Education Department had not made any payment in this regard. “It was the Director General School Education (DGSE) who has to take a call in this regard,” he added.
Even as the Principal Secretary Education is already inquiring the matter, Maluka’s proposal to request Chief Minister to handover the probe to any third agency out of his Department came following the controversy engulfing the Government, especially the Department.