Irregularities Unveiled in Delhi's Classroom Construction Initiative

Delhi's Lt Governor, VK Saxena, has sanctioned disciplinary measures against a senior Public Works Department (PWD) engineer, following the discovery of discrepancies during a classroom construction project under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, according to an official announcement on Thursday.

The engineer, formerly an Executive Engineer, is currently with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Amritsar, a Raj Niwas representative confirmed. This move comes after severe irregularities were found in the execution of the initiative, which targeted educational infrastructure improvements in Delhi with a budget of Rs. 38.37 crores allocated for 226 classrooms in several schools.

Endorsed by the principal secretary of Vigilance and the chief secretary, the disciplinary measures are set under Rule-14 of the Central Civil Services Rules from 1965. Following a public interest litigation in 2019, the Delhi High Court instigated a probe that revealed misappropriations, notably the diversion of funds for classroom constructions and overlooked assessments on infrastructure feasibility. These findings prompted an in-depth investigation that highlighted negligence and mismanagement in fund allocation.

(With inputs from agencies.)