Srinagar, Aug 6: After being pulled up by Centre for “faulty and dubious” purchases, Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a four member committee to look into the multi-crore purchases being made under centrally sponsored scheme- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Highly placed sources told Greater Kashmir that a committee headed by Director Academics, Board of School Education (BOSE) Ghulam Hassan Malik has been formed by  the School Education Department  to examine the quality as well as relevance of the  kits,  (with curriculum being taught in government schools)  being procured by Directorate of SSA.
Besides, Malik, Financial Advisor, School Education Department, Ashok Kumar, Assistant Director, Amit Kumar and in-charge Nucleus Cell N A Kakpori are three other members of the panel
The exercise of the State Government comes in the wake of Centre censuring it for purchase orders for Math and Science kits.
“No one from the State Team had seen the kits or their contents prior to initiating the procurement. Consultant pedagogy, Technical Support Group also pointed out that the state was using a different contextualized edition of books while the kits were based on the latter editions,” the minutes of the meeting of Project Approval Board of SSA for JK reads.
During the said PAB meeting, Centre had directed the State to see “if the kits for which the orders have been placed will meet the requirements of their text books,”
An official in the Directorate of SSA wishing anonymity said the supply order for kits were placed by their office on March 27 this year and two companies have already supplied the material.
“All the codal and procedural formalities have been allegedly violated while making these purchases,” the official said.
The official added that gross irregularities like violation of codal formalities and illegal appointments have become norm over the last few years in the Directorate of SSA.
“The codal formalities were also trampled in purchase of computers this year but State Government instead of ordering probe, looked the other way. Not only codal formalities, circular of Finance Department of placing purchase order by December 31 was also violated as the supply orders were placed on March 31 for the same,” he added.
When contacted, Special Secretary, School Education, Arifullah said,” I have no information about the subject”.
“I cannot comment on the matter,” State Project Director, SSA, Yasha Mudgal said.
It is in place to mention that Mudgal, who was earlier this year transferred as DC Kupwara, got the order modified within days to stay put in “lucrative” SSA.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST