Major Education Scam Uncovered in Uttar Pradesh
The Basic Education department in Lucknow has exposed what appears to be a carefully orchestrated and long-running embezzlement scheme targeting Mid-Day Meal funds in Balrampur district, with preliminary estimates suggesting Rs 11 crore has been systematically siphoned off over several years.
FIR Filed Against District Coordinator
In a significant development, an FIR was registered late Wednesday night at Kotwali Balrampur police station against Firoz Ahmad Khan, the district Mid-Day Meal coordinator who has been posted in the position since 2008. The complaint was filed by District Basic Education Officer Shubham Shukla, marking a major breakthrough in the investigation.
Khan faces serious allegations including forging government records, creating fake payment documents, and orchestrating a widespread network to divert funds meant for providing nutritious meals to school children. The FIR specifically mentions his alleged collaboration with school heads, madrasa operators, pradhans, and account handlers across the district.
How the Elaborate Scam Operated
The investigation was triggered by repeated complaints from schools about not receiving adequate "conversion cost" - the amount sanctioned under the MDM scheme specifically for preparing meals. This prompted an internal audit that would eventually uncover the sophisticated fraud operation.
During a joint review of accounts by the district's finance and accounts officer and the Basic Education Officer, Khan submitted Printed Payment Advices (PPAs) via email, claiming that funds had been disbursed in full to all institutions. However, when officials conducted a direct cross-verification of these same documents from the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), they discovered glaring discrepancies that revealed a different story altogether.
The documents supplied by Khan were found to be forged, with actual transfer amounts manipulated to appear significantly lower than what was shown in his submitted records. This manipulation effectively concealed the large-scale siphoning of funds that had been occurring over an extended period.
Wide Network of Accomplices Exposed
The FIR names a total of 43 individuals including 13 madrasa principals and 30 other contractors, pradhans, and MDM facilitators who allegedly collaborated in the scheme. The investigation has flagged irregularities in at least eight key educational institutions, including several madrasas and primary schools.
According to the complaint, the modus operandi involved inflating sanctioned amounts on paper based on exaggerated student strength figures. The excess funds were then diverted through the bank accounts of school principals, madrasa managers, and pradhans who were part of the coordinated effort.
Among those specifically named in the FIR are:
- Parveen Fatima and Ghulam Gausulwara of Madrasa Aisa Siddiqui
- Raja Kumar Saini of Darul Uloom Farooquia
- Sarita of Madrasa Fazle Rehmania
- Salim Ahmad, Malik Khurshid Ahmad, Sunil Singh, Ashok Kumar Gupta, and Kunwar Anand Singh holding charge of various primary and upper primary schools
The complaint also lists several pradhans and administrative figures including Naseem Ahmad, Jaiprakash Mishra, Sarita, and multiple individuals from Tulsipur and Gainsari who allegedly facilitated the forged transactions.
Broader Implications and Ongoing Investigation
The education department has raised concerns about the possible involvement of additional government functionaries or data-entry operators who may have assisted the coordinator in executing this elaborate scheme. The scale of the operation suggests it required coordination across multiple levels of the administration.
This case highlights serious vulnerabilities in the monitoring and verification processes of the Mid-Day Meal scheme, which is one of the world's largest school feeding programs aimed at improving nutritional levels among school children while also encouraging school attendance.
The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact timeline of the fraud and identify all individuals involved in what appears to be one of the most significant education fund embezzlement cases uncovered in recent years in Uttar Pradesh.
