The Urban Development Department of Karnataka state has sought a report from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on the alleged irregularities in procurement of sweaters worth Rs 1.72 crore for students studying in BBMP schools and colleges. The order comes after Dalit Sangarsha Samiti (DSS) president C S Raghu raised a complaint against BBMP officials over procurement and distribution of sweaters worth Rs 1.72 crore when educational institutions were shut due to Covid-19. According to the report, 16,167 sweaters were distributed to 14,150 students. This includes 2,416 students in 16 primary schools, 5,807 students in 33 high schools, 4,712 students in 15 PU colleges and 1,232 students in four graduate and two postgraduate colleges. Enquiries at a few BBMP schools had revealed that the sweaters were totally unnecessary as students were not attending classes.

Source: Indian Express September 16, 2021 17:26 UTC