The Chandrababu Naidu government provided skill training to 4 lakh unemployed youth and students through the Skill Development Project (Siemens Center of Excellence Project) during 2016-19. Infrastructure, labs and training centers worth hundreds of crores of rupees were established in engineering, polytechnic and other colleges. 1.82 lakh people got jobs.
However, the previous Jaganmohan Reddy government wanted to prove that Rs. 241 crore of funds changed hands and went to suitcase companies, and that the then CM Chandrababu Naidu was the main reason for this. To prove it, a company called Sharath and Associates was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the forensic audit investigation and obtained a `fake report’.
The Jagan government imposed a key condition on the investigation at that time. That the computer labs set up in engineering and vocational colleges, the technology purchased, and the training centers as part of the skill project should not be examined.
Naturally, to know whether a project was implemented? Or was there looting? First, how much was spent in the name of that project? Where are their results? What is their future? But the Jagan government has said not to look into such things. That is, 75 percent of the project has been left out of the scope of investigation.
This is the first aspect of Jagan’s conspiracy. Jagan’s favorable targets were identified in the forensic audit. A company named Designtech has filed a complaint with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) alleging that Sharath and Associates had submitted a biased investigation report without examining the facts and documents supporting them, without even looking into the statements they had made, and that strict action should be taken against them.
It has also sought to permanently remove CA from giving such false reports again. If we examine the key points in this complaint, it is clear how eager ‘Sharath Associates’ ways to say that funds were diverted in the skill development project. Designtech has mentioned some valid points, saying that the allegations raised by ‘Sharath Associates’ in the forensic audit are blatant lies.
