GUWAHATI, June 18 - Voluntary organisation Assam Public Works (APW) today alleged a financial scam, involving several crores of rupees, in the State Government-run AMTRON between August 2013 and 2015.
In a statement here today, the APW alleged that Dinesh Pegu was appointed AMTRON Managing Director in August 2013 because of political interference. APW president Abhijit Sarma alleged involvement of a former Minister of the State and his wife in appointing Pegu, who is not known for any extraordinary calibre as an information technology expert.
Elaborating, Sarma said in 2014-15 there were 40,983 winners of the Anundoram Borooah Award, meant for those who passed the High School Leaving Certificate examination in first division. To train them in running the laptop computer an amount of Rs 1,038 per head was spent. The total amount spent for the purpose during the year stood at Rs 4,25,40,354.
In 2015-16, laptop computers were distributed against the Anundoram Borooah awards among 53,148 students and for their training an amount of Rs 6,05,88,720 was spent at the rate of Rs 1,140 per head.
Sarma dared Pegu to inform the people as to where these students were imparted the training in operating their laptop computers. He also demanded that Pegu should publish the names of at least 1,000 students who received such training.
During both the years, G-Net Infotech was awarded the contract to distribute the laptop computers and to impart training to the winners of the Anundoram Borooah award on operating computers. The owner of the G-Net Infotech is also a man having good rapport with the wife of the former minister.
But the fact remains that no training was imparted to any of the students to run computer during the above mentioned years and hence, there is justified ground to allege that the entire amount of Rs 10,31,29,074 spent on such training was embezzled by some people. This obviously gives rise to the demand for an impartial enquiry into this matter, Sarma said, warning that his organisation would be compelled to move the court if no enquiry is instituted into this scam.
