MP govt 'misusing' Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan funds: Cong

Congress today accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of "misusing" and "diverting" Centre's funds for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to a RSS magazine and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
"BJP's Madhya Pradesh govt diverted Rs 13.26 crore for RSS mag from Centre's Sarva Siksha Abhiyan! CBI probe demanded!," party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed tweeted.
Congress spokesperson Bhakta Charan Das in a suo motu statement said it was a clear example of how the state government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan is misusing the financial aid given by the central government.
"Centre has given to the state an amount of Rs 19.2 crore under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Out of this the state government diverted Rs 13.26 crore to magazine 'Devputra', which is patronised by the state government.

"Due to this the purchase of NCERT books, which was supposed to be done with this money could not be done. This has violated the target of SSA. The state government has no right to change the course of important programmes like SSA," Das told reporters at the AICC.
Madhya Pradesh Opposition leader Ajay Singh of the Congress had yesterday filed a complaint with the CBI alleging that Rs 13.28 crore was allotted by the state government, to benefit an organisation, to purchase a magazine meant to be distributed in government schools, in violation of norms.
The magazine is associated with Vidya Bharti, which is affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

However, Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Archana Chitnis termed the allegations as "totally baseless" and claimed that all rules were followed in the selection and purchase of the magazine.