The Madhya Pradesh High Court has disposed of a 14-year-old petition that sought probe by an investigating agency against the misuse of public funds released under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
The Jabalpur Division Bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla on August 16 observed that the allegations in the petition are general in nature and no specific instance with regard to the alleged diversion of funds has been brought on record.
“The petition was filed way back in 2007 and has come to be listed after a long time today. In our view, it has outlived its purpose. This Court is not persuaded to direct any CBI inquiry on such types of allegations,” the order read.
The plea was filed by the Youth Lawyers Association and others, seeking directions to the respondent-authorities to immediately take action against the misuse of public funds and ensure that the funds released under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are not diverted or misused and also direct probe by any investigating agency, preferably the Central Bureau of Investigation, into the alleged diversion or misuse of the large sum of public funds.
The petitioners alleged that the state government, by a circular dated October 24, 2000, had curtailed the general promotion scheme in standard 1 and 2. It further ordered quarterly, half-yearly and annual examination compulsory and provisions of preparing question papers by the concerned subject teacher to be continued.
Under Rule 110, the state government fixed fees towards printing cost of answer sheet from each student at Re 1 for Class I to V and at Rs 2 for Class VI to VII and the Palak Shikshak Sangh was empowered with all administrative and financial powers.
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Each institution had the right to purchase printing material by calling quotation at local level up to Rs 25,000 and for invited open tender in prescribed manner as per the provisions of the Store Purchase Rules, but later on, against the basic feature of decentralization of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the private respondent centralised the power of purchasing on him by calling requirements from each institution and sent all requirements to government press without following the norms of Store Purchase Rules, the petition alleged.