North India Statesman
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News India Live, Digital Desk: Launched under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ambitious ‘Saat Nishchay’ scheme Bihar Student Credit Card (BSCC) Scheme Now he is the target of fraudsters. Shocking facts have come to light in the internal investigation of the Education Department and Bihar State Education Finance Corporation. 15 major educational institutions of the state are accused of colluding and embezzling government funds worth crores of rupees.
1. How was the ‘loot of crores’ revealed? (The Investigation)
According to the investigation report, many institutions have defrauded the government treasury by showing enrollment of ‘fake’ students on paper or by getting loans passed multiple times in the name of the same student.
Scope of investigation: The files of 15 institutions of 6 districts like Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur and Purnia are being scrutinized.
Fraud: The investigation found that many institutions withdrew funds in the names of students who had never even set foot there or whose enrollment was limited to papers only.
2. ‘Modus Operandi’ of the Scam (How it Happened)
Fraudsters used three major methods to rob this entire scheme:
| Method | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost Students | Loans were taken in the names of students who did not exist or who were studying in other states. | Crores of rupees were transferred directly into the bank accounts of the institutions. |
| tampering with papers | College fees and hostel expenses were shown to be many times higher than the actual amount. | The maximum limit of Rs 4 lakh available to the student was ‘exploited’. |
| collusion of institutions | Some institutions, in collusion with middlemen, used forged signatures and marksheets of students. | The rights of poor and brilliant students were robbed. |
3. Strict action by education department
Bihar State Education Finance Corporation has taken a strong stand in this matter and taken the following steps:
Stopping Payment: All future payments to the accused 15 institutions have been stopped with immediate effect.
Preparation of FIR: After completion of the investigation, action will be taken against the owners of the institutions and the departmental employees involved. FIR Instructions have been given to register.
Recovery Notice: Notices are being issued to the institutions for recovery of the embezzled amount.
4. Will the punishment fall on students also?
The department is also identifying those students who knowingly took loans in collaboration with institutions and did not complete their studies.
Lawsuit warning: Near Patna district 6,938 students There are those who neither returned the amount nor gave information about employment after taking the loan. The government is now preparing to take legal action by declaring them defaulters.
Will the plan stop?
According to sources, after this scam, the verification process for student credit cards is now being made more stringent. Now funds will not be released without ‘physical audit’ of the institutions. The Education Department says that the scheme will not be closed due to corruption, but it will be made more transparent so that the real entitled students continue to get its benefits.
