J&K officials booked for embezzlement of scholarship funds

The Jammu & Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation today registered a case against four Education Department officials and two others for alleged embezzlement of scholarship funds meant for students belonging to Pahari and Gujjar and Bakerwal communities in Kupwara district.
The case was registered after preliminary inquiry revealed that scholarship money to the tune of lakhs of rupees was withdrawn fraudulently in Vilgam zone of Kupwara district during 2009-11, a vigilance spokesman said.
The accused are then Zonal Education Officer of Vilgam Mohammad Syed Shah, Zonal Education Planning Officer Mohi-ud- Din Wani, member the State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari-Speaking People Abdul Majid Zindadil, and a headmaster of Vilgam and in-charge of Scholarship Sonaullah.

According to the spokesman, Shah and Wani hatched a conspiracy with Zindadil and Sonaullah to prepare a fake and forged lists of Pahari and Gujjar and Bakerwal students, and showed disbursement of Rs 6.27 lakh as scholarship in the year 2009-10.
Similarly in 2010-11, Wani exaggerated the lists of such students submitted by concerned schools by incorporating names of non-existing beneficiaries. The list was then authenticated by then Zonal Education Officer of Vilgam Ali Mohammad Dar.
"The officers, along with member of Gujjar and Bakerwal Advertisement Board of Kupwara Mohammad Yaseen Badana, have shown disbursement of Rs 12.10 lakh as per the fictitious acquaintance/disbursement register," the spokesman said.

"Verification revealed that the officials increased the number of Pahari and Gujjar and Bakerwal students to 1,984 against existing 996, thereby causing a huge loss to the state exchequer," he said.