Delhi LG nod to act against former PWD official on classroom fund ‘misuse' case

Hindustan Times

20 hours ago

Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena has approved disciplinary proceedings against a former Public Works Department (PWD) executive engineer in connection with alleged irregularities in the construction of classrooms under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Officials said the LG gave his nod to a proposal moved by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) to initiate action under Rule 14 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules against SR Meena, who was then an executive engineer in the PWD. Meena is currently posted with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Amritsar.
The case dates back to 2018-19 and involves infrastructure projects undertaken under the Centre's Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, aimed at augmenting school facilities across Delhi. According to officials, a total of ₹38.37 crore was sanctioned for the construction of 226 classrooms in Delhi government schools.
'Instead of constructing 20 classrooms at a school in Tri Nagar, part of the sanctioned amount was used to build a multi-purpose hall at Rani Bagh without the required administrative and financial approvals,' said a senior official at the LG Secretariat, requesting anonymity. 'This constitutes diversion of funds and procedural violation.'
The matter surfaced following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Delhi high court by a civil rights group on June 11, 2019.
The PIL sought court intervention to ensure that six newly constructed school buildings were handed over for use. This prompted the then chief secretary to initiate an inquiry in March 2024, after the case resurfaced during a review of delayed infrastructure utilisation.
A fact-finding report submitted in May 2024 flagged serious lapses not only by the PWD, but also the education department, which failed to conduct proper feasibility studies.
'The department did not verify the availability of unencumbered land before approving the construction, which in some cases led to double allocation of funds for the same space,' the official added.
Officials said while proceedings have now been initiated against Meena, the case against another accused officer was dropped as time-barred due to his retirement.
This is the latest in a string of actions approved by the LG against officials involved in alleged mismanagement of public funds during previous AAP-led initiatives.
Earlier this year, Saxena had cleared action against multiple PWD engineers for irregularities in classroom construction and the renovation of school infrastructure — a project which has been under the scanner since a 2019 CAG audit flagged cost escalations and poor oversight.