ACB issues summons to Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in case linked to construction of classrooms

NEW DELHI: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) issued summonses to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over an alleged corruption of Rs 2,000 crore scam in the construction of classrooms in government schools.

Minister Satyendar Jain has been summoned to the ACB office on June 6, and Manish Sisodia has been asked to appear in the Court on June 9.

This comes after a complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Harish Khurana, BJP MLA Kapil Mishra and Neelkanth Bakshi of the BJP’s Media Relations Department against the AAP ministers, who were accused of inflating costs for constructing semi-permanent classrooms, as per a statement by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Shweta Singh Chauhan.

According to Chauhan, the probe into the investigation of the case revealed massive cost escalations and violations of procurement rules, with 34 contractors linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Chauhan said, “We received a complaint against Manish Sisodia, former Deputy CM, and Satyendar Jain, former PWD Minister… the scam is of over Rs 2,000 crore. The classrooms were semi-permanent structures, and the cost estimate was around Rs 24,00,000 per classroom, which was more than the prevalent market rate back then.”

“There was a considerable cost escalation by the time projects were completed. The allegations are that the prevalent market rate by then was Rs five lakhs to complete a classroom structure,” she added.

The complaint alleged irregularities in the construction of approximately 12,748 classrooms at a reported expenditure of Rs 2,892 crore. The cost per classroom, as per the awarded tenders, stood at around Rs 24.86 lakh, even though similar structures could be built in Delhi for approximately Rs five lakh, they claimed.

It has also been alleged that the project was handed over to 34 contractors, most of whom were allegedly affiliated with the AAP.

According to ACB chief Madhur Verma, during verification, it was found that the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), in its meetings during the financial year 2015-16, had decided the project should be completed by June 2016 within the sanctioned cost, without any scope for future cost escalations. (ANI)