Andhra Pradesh: Know what is skill development scam, in which former CM Chandrababu Naidu arrested
Under the scheme, the government had given the responsibility to a company Siemens. Six clusters were formed under the scheme and a total of Rs 3300 crore was to be spent on them.
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Telugu Desam Party President and former Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu has been arrested by the CID in the skill development scam case. This arrest took place from Nandyal on Saturday morning. The skill development scam is worth Rs 350 crore and an FIR in this case was registered against Chandrababu Naidu in the year 2021. Chandrababu Naidu has been arrested under Section 50(1)(2) of CrPC.
What is a Skill Development Scam?
The scheme was started in Andhra Pradesh in the government of Chandrababu Naidu to provide skill development training to the youth. The scheme was to provide necessary skill development training to the youth to work in heavy industries located in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas. Under the scheme, the government had given the responsibility to a company Siemens. Six clusters were formed under the scheme and a total of Rs 3300 crore was to be spent on them. In which Rs 560 crore was to be spent on each cluster.
The then Chandrababu Naidu government told the cabinet that under the scheme the state government will spend 10 percent of the total expenditure i.e. Rs 370 crore. The remaining 90 percent of the expenditure will be borne by skill development training company Siemens. It is alleged that Chandrababu Naidu's government transferred Rs 371 crore to be spent under the scheme to shell companies. There is also an allegation against the former CM that documents related to creating shell companies and transferring money to them were also destroyed.
ED is also investigating
Andhra Pradesh's skill development scam is also being probed by the ED. A few months ago, the ED had also attached assets worth Rs 31 crore of Designtech Systems Pvt Ltd, an accused in this scam. It is alleged that through this company the money of the government scheme was transferred to shell companies, along with fake invoices were prepared. The ED is probing the matter from the angle of money laundering. The ED had registered a case against Somyadri Shekhar Bose, former MD of Siemens Company, Vikas Vinayak Khanvelkar, MD of Designtech Company, Mukul Chandra Agrawal, CEO of PVSP IT Skills Project Pvt Ltd and Skiller Enterprises Pvt Ltd, CA Suresh Goyal in this case.