Odishatoday.com: Bhubaneswar: Monday, 05 May 2014.
The Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan (OSAA) on Sunday demanded a CBI probe
into the controversial issue of the State Institute of Educational Technology
(SIET), which was closed by the State Government last year.
OSAA convener Pradip Pradhan through an RTI report revealed that the State
Government had told a lie in its letter issued for closure of the SIET last
year. The Government said the Centre in its letter No 5029/ENCL issued on July
18, 2012 had intimated the State to close the SIET, but the RTI information
revealed that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had not
issued such a letter.
The RTI report said the letter issued by the MHRD does not pertain to this
section; therefore they have ‘Nil’ information to provide. It has clearly
stated in the report that closure decision of the SIET Odisha was not taken by
the MHRD, Pradhan added.The State which had closed down the institute citing
several grounds like refusal of the Central Government to give fund and
noncooperation of employees were false and misleading, Pradhan alleged.
However, the RTI revealed that so far no letter has been written to the
SIET Odisha for cessation of Central assistance. The report stated that under
the ICT @ School scheme funds on project mode are released to the SIETs across
the country including SIET Odisha.The civil body wanted to know from the State
Government about expenditure of Rs44 crore that was sanctioned under ICT@
School scheme in last five years.
A fund of Rs52 crore allotted to the SIET by the MHRD was given to an
institution, Odisha Knowledge Corporation Ltd (OKCL), by the State for
implementation of the ICT @School scheme. “It’s really funny that the State is
providing fund to an institution by closing a Government organisation and
leaving its employees jobless,” said an activist.Pradhan said the State
Government is planning to sell the four-acre campus of the SIET to a private
company. “We cannot see the fall of a premier institution and irregularities of
the State in spending funds sent by the Centre. Therefore, we demand a CBI
probe to reveal the truth and punish the persons involved in the SIET issue,”
he said.
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