UP EOW registers 11 FIRs against 90 for Unnao scholarship irregularities

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the UP Police registered FIRs against authorities of 275 schools in 11 blocks of Unnao district for alleged irregularities in

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the UP Police registered FIRs against authorities of 275 schools in 11 blocks of Unnao district for alleged irregularities in students’ scholarship money given by the state government between 2000 and 2010, an official said on Thursday.

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A senior EOW official said 90 people, including school principals, managers, village development officers and village pradhans, were named in 11 separate FIRs registered at the EOW police station in Lucknow on Wednesday.

Sharing further details, the official said the initial probe by EOW revealed that non-existent students were shown to have been enrolled in 200 schools to get more scholarship. Similarly, enrolment of students was shown at 75 schools that did not exist. He also said at least 150 schools were owned by private persons.

The probe revealed the principals concerned acted in connivance with gram pradhans and some officials of the social welfare department showed, he said.

“On an average, each school got ₹ 15,000 per year as scholarship money out of which they distributed ₹ 5,000 and amassed the rest. This number varies from one school to another whereas 75 schools, which existed only on paper took away ₹ 11 lakh in one year,” said the EOW official.

The official said the scholarship amount was meant for students of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and economically weaker sections. Earlier, 65 FIRs were registered in Meerut and 121 FIRs in Etawah in connection with similar irregularities, he added.

He said the probe into the scholarship irregularities was ordered after the formation of BJP government in the state in 2017.