Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain Summoned Over Classroom Construction 'Scam'

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain have been summoned in the alleged Rs 2,000-crore classroom construction scam.

The Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), which registered a corruption case against the two leaders on April 30, has summoned Mr Sisodia, the former Delhi deputy chief minister who also held the Education portfolio, for questioning on June 9.

Mr Jain, who was the minister of PWD (Public Works Department), the government agency that carries out such constructions, in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, has been asked to appear before officials on June 6.

The AAP, which claims to have revolutionised the "Delhi education model", and much of its electoral campaigns were based on how it improved schools and colleges over the past decade, has said the case against its leaders was registered to "pressure and scare" them.

The Alleged Classroom Construction Scam

The ACB has alleged that the project involved the construction of approximately 12,748 classrooms and school buildings across Delhi and saw "significant financial irregularities, deviations and cost escalations".

The anti-corruption body has alleged that the scam is pegged at around Rs 2,000 crore and involved awarding contracts at highly inflated rates, with classrooms in government-run schools reportedly built at Rs 24.86 lakh each, nearly five times the usual cost.

It has also been alleged that the project was awarded to 34 contractors, and most of them were linked to the AAP.

The ACB has alleged that the construction involved Semi-Permanent Structures (SPS) with an expected lifespan of 30 years, yet costs matched those of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures, which typically last up to 75 years.

The project's cost was increased by Rs 326 crore without bringing new tenders, the ACB has said in its report.