look news india
Such a shocking case of tampering with the country’s education system and government treasury has come to light in Maharashtra, which has put the entire administrative system in the dock. Government funds worth crores of rupees were being siphoned off in the name of ‘ghost hostels’ that were running on paper for years in the state. This massive fraud has been exposed in the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which exposes the open loot going on right under the nose of the officials.
Students on paper, silence in reality: Fund divided for 4 years
According to the ‘Compliance Audit Report 2024’ tabled in the state assembly, 6 such hostels have been found in Maharashtra, where government funding was being given continuously for the last four years. These hostels were designed to help students from backward and economically weaker sections. The records continued to show students every year, but there were neither any students nor any basic facilities on the ground. A total of ₹1.62 crore government funds were released in the name of these ghost hostels, which instead of being used for the welfare of the students, ended up being used for corruption.
Biggest game in Jalna district: 38 students in record, zero on the spot
The most shocking figures in the CAG investigation have emerged from Jalna district. The names of 38 students and one superintendent were mentioned in the records of Modikhan Hostel here, in lieu of which a fund of ₹ 18 lakh was embezzled during four years. Similarly, in Jafrabad, Jalna, a hostel with a capacity of 24 students was found completely empty. In Jalna district alone, 4 such ‘ghost hostels’ have been detected, where not a single penny of the fund was spent at the right place.
Girls hostels were run by men, there was no superintendent at 49 places.
According to the audit report, till March 2024, about 443 government and 2,388 government-aided hostels were being given funding in Maharashtra. Gross negligence has also come to light on the security and management front. 49 government hostels were found in the state, which were running on God’s trust without any superintendent. The limit was reached when the responsibility of 5 girls hostels was found in the hands of male superintendents, which is a very serious matter from the point of view of the safety of girl students.
Government missed the target, projects incomplete even after spending crores
The report exposed the claims of the government and said that a target was set to build 500 new government hostels in the state by the year 2020. However, despite receiving huge funding of crores of rupees, this target remained limited to only 443 hostels. Even though hostels were built, many of them have become mere sources of paper manipulation and corruption without any students.