According to officials familiar with the matter, Sisodia did not appear for questioning on the earlier date, Monday, and had instead asked for a new date citing “prior commitments”.
NEW DELHI: The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi has once again summoned senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to appear for questioning on June 20, in connection with an alleged scam involving classroom construction in government schools.
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According to officials familiar with the matter, Sisodia did not appear for questioning on the earlier date, Monday, and had instead asked for a new date citing “prior commitments“.
The ACB issued the fresh summons on Tuesday.
The case relates to the alleged misappropriation of public funds to the tune of around ₹2,000 crore during the construction of over 12,700 semi-permanent classrooms under the previous AAP-led Delhi government. These classrooms were built to increase the infrastructure capacity of Delhi government schools.
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The project, which has come under severe scrutiny, is now being investigated for “inflated construction costs, violations of procedure, and post-tender cost escalations”.
Sources in the ACB have confirmed that former PWD minister Satyendar Jain, who was also linked to the project, was questioned on Friday. During his interrogation, Jain allegedly shifted the responsibility for the decisions made during the implementation of the classroom project onto the education department, which was being led by Manish Sisodia at the time.
An FIR was registered on April 30, after the ACB received multiple complaints, including those from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The complaints alleged corruption and irregularities in the manner classrooms were constructed.
According to the ACB, “the average cost of constructing each classroom came to Rs. 24.86 lakh,” which they say is “nearly five times the estimated market rate of Rs.5 lakh.”
Officials further stated that “semi-permanent structures, which usually last for only 30 years, were used instead of permanent buildings”, questioning the financial and planning justification of such a move, “especially when reinforced concrete buildings typically last around 75 years.”
