Uproar in Legislative Assembly over Minister's institute

Uproar in Legislative Assembly over Minister's institute
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, MARCH 31: The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Arun Gujarathi, on Friday reserved a calling attention motion following allegations that an institute run by the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Datta Meghe was issuing bogus certificates to Government employees sent there for computer training.

The Minister of State for General Administration Laxman Dhobale told the House that he had no knowledge of the Minister's involvement and that the Government would set up its own machinery to conduct examinations of employees trained by authorised computer training institutes.

Dhobale said that C L Communications, an institute in Aurangabad, had complained that 100 persons figuring in the list of employees who had successfully completed the computer course conducted by the CEDTI Aurangabad, had not even appeared for the examinations conducted in January 2000.

He further said that based on the complaint filed by Mohan Raut of C L Communications, the Government had asked for an explanation from the CEDTI, which claimed that the concerned employees had appeared for the examination and that a litigation was in progress between CEDTI and CL Communications over monetary matters. He added that the concerned 100 persons were from Satara and the district collector had been asked to conduct an inquiry and file police complaints in the matter.

However, not satisfied with the Mnister's reply, Opposition members Gopinath Munde and Arun Adsud said that there were about 750 franchisees all over the State imparting training to Government employees and that the certificates were literally being sold to the Government staff to enable them to claim monetary benefits.

Munde accused the Government of shielding the computer institute as it was being run by Meghe. Dhobale said that he had no knowledge about the Minister's role in the institute. He promised to take action within three weeks after receiving a report from the Aurangabad police commissioner. However, Munde and several other members of the Opposition demanded a CID inquiry into the racket. Dhobale replied that after examining the departmental inquiry report, a CID probe would be ordered if necessary.

He added that the francisees were appointed not by his Government, but the previous Sena-BJP government, which led to an uproar by Opposition members Munde, Adsud, Prabhakar More and Dr Daulatrao Aher, who accused the Government of shielding Meghe.

When Munde asked why the official responsible for computer training of employees, Radheshyam Mopalwar, was abruptly transferred, Dhobale said that he had no knowledge of the transfer and requested more time to collect information on the issue. Munde then requested the Speaker to reserve the calling attention motion, to which the Speaker agreed.