MUMBAI: Funds to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore meant for scholarships for SC, ST and OBC students were misappropriated between 2008-09 and 2013-14, says the final report of a special investigation team.
The SIT, set up in early 2016, has recommended the toughest action against 68 institutes. It has asked the social justice department to lodge FIRs against them and recover the defrauded funds from them. Of these, 25 are from five districts: Chandrapur, Beed, Osmanabad, Pune, and Solapur.
Based on the SIT’s interim reports, FIRs against 22 institutes have been filed and about Rs 64 crore recovered.
“SIT has submitted the report to the state home department. I will consult chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and will decide on further course of action in the next 15 days,” Rajkumar Badole, minister for social justice told TOI.
