Srinagar: Main Opposition PDP in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday demanded a white paper on the controversy over the release of central funds to madrasas in the state as there was a "huge gap" between the amount released by Centre and the
figure acknowledged by the state.
"This is a very serious issue as it involves not only huge financial transactions of dubious nature but also the reputation of one of the most respected institutions of our society," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a statement.
Like all other centrally-sponsored schemes, the state government seems to have made a mess of the financial assistance released by the Centre for the madrasas in the state, which are established institutions of religious instruction, she said.
"There is a huge gap between the amount released by Government of India and the funds acknowledged by the state government. The amount received by the madrasas is reportedly even lesser than that," she said.
Mehbooba said the missing money needs to be traced and someone from the government has to explain it.
She said the obvious inconsistency in the financial allocations by the Centre and its devolution to the ultimate users has a criminal implication and the government must fully investigate it and come out with facts and figures immediately.
"Of equal importance is the fact that the highly respected institution of madrasas in the state has been brought into disrepute," Mehbooba said, adding many leading
institutions have already distanced themselves from the funding row and categorically denied any receipts on that account.
"Though this government has caused immense damage to almost all institutions of the state, the latest victim, the madrasas should have been spared as they are generally run with community participation," she added.
Mehbooba said it apparently looks that some of the institutions which have benefited from the funds might even be non existent.
"How and under whose authority have they received government money and whether any utilisation certificates have been obtained needs to be known," she said, adding the government must come out with the particulars of every
institution that has been shown as having received the funds.
PTI
