Jammu, May 26, (Gulistan News):
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu has registered a case against several individuals, including the former Director of Tribal Affairs, Jammu & Kashmir for their alleged involvement in misappropriating funds under the Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) scheme for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.

The FIR, registered under the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and the RPC, names former Director M.S. Choudhary, along with proprietors of various private institutes and other individuals. It is alleged that between 2014 and 2018, scholarship funds amounting to crores were disbursed to unrecognized institutes offering unrecognized courses.

Investigations revealed that documents of ST students from remote areas were allegedly misused, and scholarship forms were submitted on their behalf without their knowledge. Funds meant for students were credited directly to the bank accounts of these institutes, despite many students never seeking admission or attending the courses.

The Directorate of Tribal Affairs officials allegedly failed to verify the genuineness of the institutes and the courses offered. Some institutes lacked proper accreditation, while fake bank accounts were reportedly created in students’ names to divert the scholarship funds.

By allegedly abusing their official positions, the accused individuals caused a significant financial loss to the government exchequer, undermining the objectives of the PMS scheme. The ACB stated that the investigation is ongoing, with further details expected to emerge in the coming days.
(Gulistan News)