BHOPAL: 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.
