Veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath expressed worry about alleged irregularities in Madhya Pradesh’s scholarship programs. He questioned the effectiveness of the state’s Lokayukta after court rejections of closure reports in 34 cases related to scholarship misuse. Kamal Nath emphasized the need for a transparent investigation to ensure accountability and proper handling of the cases.
The cases involve students securing admissions in two colleges simultaneously to benefit from the scholarship schemes. Accusations also extend to colleges and nodal institutions participating in the process. The Lokayukta had submitted closure reports in all 34 cases over the past few months, but each was rejected by the court due to inadequate investigation and lack of evidence.
Recently, a closure report in a bribery case involving a former Additional Commissioner of a Municipal Corporation was also dismissed by the court. The investigating agency’s failure to collect essential documents from the institutions was highlighted. The court noted the absence of crucial evidence like attendance registers, enrollment records, and examination lists, which compromised the investigation’s integrity.
Kamal Nath stressed that these shortcomings not only cast doubt on the investigation’s credibility but also raise concerns about the misappropriation of public funds intended for deserving students. He called for the state government to heed the court’s observations and conduct a thorough reinvestigation into the cases to ensure fairness and transparency.
