Delhi ACB Files FIR Against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in ₹2,000 Crore Classroom Construction Scam
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi Government has officially lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and former Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satyendar Jain.
The charges stem from serious allegations of corruption in the construction of over 12,700 classrooms or school buildings during the tenure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, with the scam estimated at a staggering ₹2,000 crore.
Madhur Verma, the head of the ACB, confirmed the registration of the FIR on Wednesday. He revealed that the investigation was initiated based on a report submitted by the Chief Technical Examiner (CTE) of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which uncovered multiple irregularities in the classroom construction project.
“This report had been suppressed for nearly three years. The FIR was registered after receiving sanction under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act from the competent authority,” Verma stated.
According to officials, the project, which aimed to construct 12,748 classrooms, was allegedly awarded to several contractors closely linked to the ruling AAP.
The ACB said that there were significant cost overruns and none of the construction work was completed within the stipulated timelines.
Moreover, consultants and architects were allegedly appointed without adhering to proper procedures, facilitating unchecked cost escalations.
The case traces back to a 2019 complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari. He accused the AAP government of financial mismanagement in classroom construction across zones 23, 24, and 28 in Delhi.
Tiwari claimed that the government spent an average of ₹28 lakh per classroom, while a standard classroom could be built for just ₹5 lakh. He further alleged that the contracts were distributed among 34 firms, many of which had affiliations with AAP leaders.
Officials involved in the inquiry revealed that during meetings of the Expenditure Finance Committee in 2015–16, it had been clearly stated that the project must be completed by June 2016, within the sanctioned budget, with no room for cost escalations.
However, these conditions were reportedly ignored, as delays and cost overruns plagued the project.
The CVC’s Chief Technical Examiner submitted the investigation report on February 17, 2020, with approval from the relevant authority.
The report pointed to serious breaches of several rules and guidelines, including those outlined in the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) Works Manual (2014), the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, and CVC protocols.
It also flagged post-tender decisions that went against established procedures, which significantly inflated the project costs and caused substantial financial losses to the exchequer.
The FIR marks a significant escalation in the ongoing scrutiny of AAP-led infrastructure projects in Delhi, potentially impacting key party figures ahead of upcoming elections. Would you like a breakdown of the specific irregularities highlighted in the CVC report?
