UP Govt Funds Worth Rs 106 Crore Allocated To Azam Khan's Jauhar University, Income Tax Department Probe Reveals

Investigations by Income Tax (IT) department against Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan revealed that IAS officers and engineers, working under him during his tenure as a cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh, allocated a sum of Rs 106 crore to Jauhar University, Live Hindustan reported.

Khan is vice chancellor of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University since 2012 and served as cabinet minister in Akhilesh Yadav government from 2012 to 2017. The case came into light after IT raids at Khan's residence and the university earlier this month.

Ignoring all rules and regulations, officials from six government departments, including C&DS, Jal Nigam, Public Works Department, Backward Class Welfare Department, district rural development authority and culture department, transferred funds to the university for construction projects amounting to crores of rupees.

The IT department has now forwarded the case to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for investigation into financial irregularities (money laundering).

Additionally, inquiries have been made with government authorities regarding the legal basis under which such a significant amount was invested in a private university.

The complaint regarding this case has been raised by BJP MLA Akash Saxena from Rampur, who asserted, "This is a case of misuse of public funds and corruption. The ED should file a case of money laundering in this matter. Also, legal action should be taken against former officials and engineers who immediately authorised the transfer of government funds to a private university."

Breakdown of the Allocation:

• C&DS: Rs 35.90 crore for Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)

• PWD: Rs 17.16 crore for widening roads within the campus

• Jal Nigam: Rs 46.86 crore for the Rampur Sewerage Scheme near the campus

• Jal Nigam: ₹6.70 crore for the expansion work in Sigankhera village

It is surprising that no compliance with rules and orders was observed for these construction works. Instead, the work was carried out based on top-down orders, and payments were made with financial approval in every case.

A senior official from the Income Tax Department stated that this is a case of misappropriation of government funds, and it has been sent to the ED for investigation into money laundering. All relevant documents in this case have been sent to the central office of the ED.

In this context, a case will be registered against those responsible for the misuse of government funds in the private university, following which legal action may be initiated against the officials and engineers involved.