Free Press
Journal: Bhopal: Sunday, 23 February 2020.
Rashtirya
Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan State Project Directorate (RUSA SPD) could not tell
which college was converted into university utilising the RUSA funds.
This
is when Rs 7.59 crore out of Rs 27.50 crore have been spent on up-gradation of
autonomous college to a University in 2016-17 under RUSA.
Moreover,
RUSA SPD is also unable to explain where the fund of Rs 7.59 crore was used. It
could not provide the sanction plan of the work executed.
However,
replying to an RTI query, the project directorate claimed that utilised amount
was verified as per utilisation certificate but it failed to provide any more
details.
State
has received Rs 2,000 crore to improve infrastructure of state run colleges and
universities under RUSA in 2015. According to plan there are several components
describing exact use of funds.
The
component 1 was made for upgradation of autonomous college to university. RUSA
project directorate did not provide any details of expenditure under component
2 under RTI query.
Component
3 was meant for infrastructure grant to three universities, where Rs 32 crores
was allotted.
However,
only Rs 7.42 crore was used while Rs 24.70 crore remained unutilised. Moreover,
RUSA directorate did not provide documents to substantiate its claim.
The
component 4 was meant to develop new model college, for which Rs 12 crore was
allotted and only Rs 2.98 crore were used while Rs 9 crore remain unutilized.
RUSA did not furnish details as to which colleges were being developed as model
colleges.
Existing
degree colleges were to be updated into a Model College under component 5. A
total fund of Rs 4 crore was released in the year 2016-17 but only Rs 1.53
crore was utilized and major share of Rs 2.46 crore lies unutilized.
Moreover,
eighteen identified colleges were given grant for upgradation in 2015-16 and
the subsequent year but only Rs 19 crore were used while Rs 7.22 crore remains
unutilized.
“The
factor common to all the replies is that RUSA office could not furnish
documents of the works that it has claimed to be done,” said Devendra Pratap
Singh, whistleblower and education activist, who filed application under Right
to Information Act.
He
claims that RUSA funds have been misused therefore its office cannot provide
documents related to expenditure. “They have provided the utilisation
certificate but not utilisation bills indicating something fishy,” added Singh.
Major
part of Rs 2,000 crore RUSA fund is lying idle with the PWD, he added.