4 booked for embezzlement of funds under PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana

An embezzlement of Rs 32.41 lakh has been uncovered in five courses run under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) at the Government Girls College in Kharkhoda. The courses, solely for unemployed youth who are school and college dropouts, were funded by the Central Government.

Following a complaint from the CM Flying Squad, the Kharkhoda police have filed a case against four individuals, including the former general secretary of the College Management Committee, the former Principal and two directors of a private company that was organising the courses at the college. They are accused of misappropriating government funds.

According to the complaint filed by SI Raj Singh, the Investigation Officer, a report was received regarding the alleged embezzlement of government funds. The college operates with a 95 per cent government grant, which is supplemented by funds from various government schemes. In response to the complaint, Inspector Sunil Kumar of the CM Flying Squad initiated an investigation.

The inquiry revealed that five courses — Sewing Machine Operator, Hand Embroiderer, Sports Masseur, Domestic Data Entry Operator, and Multi-Cuisine Cook — were launched under the scheme. These courses were intended for unemployed school and college dropouts.

The PMKVY project for 2016-17 was entrusted to SB Square Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd of Rohtak, and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) transferred Rs 68,56,821 to their account. Ankit Garg, the director of SB Square, selected the Education Society, Kharkhoda, to conduct the courses. A total of 938 girls were trained, out of which 300 were students from the college.

However, instead of recruiting eligible candidates, the company trained ineligible students and fraudulently claimed government funding. During the investigation, it was discovered that the Education Society, Kharkhoda, a private entity, had received Rs 32,41,337 from SB Square Consultancy. Additionally, numerous bills were found to be either undated or misplaced, and the attendance records for the 938 trainees were not provided by the firm.

Following the findings of the CM Flying Squad’s report, the Kharkhoda police have registered a case against the directors of the private company, the former general secretary of the Kharkhoda Education Society, and the former Principal of the Government Girls College under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).