SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) scam: Six in police custody

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell produced the six persons it had arrested on the charge of misappropriating Rs 105 crore in the name of running ODL (open distance learning) under the SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) before the Court of Special Judge today. The Court sent them to two days’ police custody.

The arrested people are Rajesh Kumar Joshi, Dr. LN Sonowal, Jaychandra Lahkar, Rubul Ali, Ramijuddin, and Sarang More. On the other hand, CM’s special vigilance cell grilled the two daughters of Sewali Devi Sarma, the former Director in charge of SCERT.

It may be noted that Sewali Devi Sarma and her younger son-in-law, Ajit Paul Singh, who are also accused, are still on the run.

According to the sources, the alleged financial irregularities took place from 2011 to 2022. After the allegations of financial anomalies surfaced, the Assam Government suspended IAS officer Sewali Devi Sarma, Secretary to the Assam Government, Agriculture Department. She was the then-in-charge director of SCERT in Assam.

As per National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines, 22 centres of ODL (Open Distance Learning) were supposed to be opened in Assam under SCERT, which would offer a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) course. Besides these, 59 centres should have been opened to offer the D.El.Ed. course under ODL.

However, sources said that Sewali Devi Sarma flouted all guidelines and rules and started 347 centres for the D.El.Ed. course under ODL—288 more than the number of centres for which the NCTE had given permission. Moreover, it was shown on record that around 1.06 lakh teachers had received D.El.Ed. training in the centres.

Also Read: SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) scam: Six arrested for misappropriating Rs 105 crore

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