Kapil Sibal pressured officials, pushed for Teesta Setalvad's NGO funds: Report

NEW DELHI: A three-member committee probing the HRD ministry's funding of activist Teesta Setalvad's NGO Sabrang Trust for supplementary readers in Mumbai schools has blamed then minister Kapil Sibal for putting pressure on officials to sanction funds despite objection by the Maharashtra government and National Council for Educational Research & Training (NCERT).

The committee, constituted by then HRD minister Smriti Irani in the early months of the Narendra Modi government in 2015, was asked to examine the purpose for which over Rs 3 crore was sanctioned and if it was used properly. However, the nearly-500 page report, accessed by TOI , has dwelt at length on the manner in which funds were sanctioned under 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' to prepare supplementary readers for teachers and students in Mumbai schools.

The report points out that the proposal for supplementary reader was sent to NCERT for evaluation. But as technical appraiser, NCERT did not approve of it. Similarly, the then Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra had reservations about the project. Yet the committee in the HRD ministry sanctioned funds for the project.

Sibal, however, denied having put pressure on officials. He told TOI , "I never put pressure to get work done. A proposal was received and sanction was as per rules." In an email response, Setalvad said, "Since you have 'access' to the report, we too should have it before we comment. Will be happy to comment once you share the report with us."

However, the committee could not find any financial misappropriation after the funds were sanctioned. The committee, has annexed 10 supplementary readers in its report. It said that they do not serve their purpose.

The HRD ministry had set up the committee on a complaint by Rais Khan Pathan, who fell out with Setalvad long ago. He had made a complaint in the ministry few days before the Modi government came to power.