(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)

Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both former ministers from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are encountering new legal challenges linked to the alleged classroom construction scam amounting to Rs 2,000 crore. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi Police has initiated a corruption investigation into both politicians and is examining the involvement of additional suspected accomplices. According to ACB chief Madhur Verma, the inquiry is also scrutinizing the participation of unidentified government officials and contractors.

During the administration led by Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Sisodia was responsible for the Education portfolio, while Mr. Jain oversaw the Public Works Department (PWD), the agency responsible for executing such construction projects. The ACB has discovered that over 12,000 classrooms and school buildings were constructed at inflated costs during the previous AAP government, allegedly resulting in financial irregularities of Rs 2,000 crore. Contracts were assigned to 34 contractors, with many found to have connections to the AAP. The ACB reported that these constructions were not completed within the set timelines, contributing to significant cost overruns.

The classrooms were intended to be built as Semi-Permanent Structures (SPS), designed to last 30 years; however, the expenses were comparable to those of solid classrooms, which have a projected lifespan of 75 years. Furthermore, the costs escalated due to the employment of consultants and architects without adhering to proper procedures, according to the ACB's findings.

The investigation was prompted by complaints from certain BJP leaders, who claimed that the expenses for the classroom construction surged nearly fivefold. Additionally, a report by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) revealed multiple irregularities within the classroom initiative, but this report had been hidden for nearly three years, the ACB stated. The report indicated that the SPS construction cost rose to Rs 2,292 per sq ft, which is nearly on par with the expenses for constructing conventional concrete school buildings, priced at Rs 2044-2416 per sq ft. The project budget was inflated by Rs 326 crore without issuing new tenders, the report disclosed.