ATI row: Amita Prasad told to reply to notice in 15 days

Mysuru: Additional Chief Secretary, T. M. Vijay Bhaskar, who was ordered to inquire into the allegations of corruption made by the Director General of the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Rashmi V. Mahesh, against her predecessor, has submitted his report to Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee, according to sources.   

Ms Rashmi, who has accused the former DG, Amita Prasad of involvement in a Rs 100 crore scam in her years in office, has sent over eight reports to the government, from August 5 to October 15 listing her charges.  

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to order an inquiry into the tenure of Ms Amita Prasad after Ms Rashmi was attacked in October when she arrived to condole the death of a staffer.

Based on Mr  Bhaskar’s findings, the case is expected to be handed  over to the CBI or Lokayukta for investigation.

According to official sources, Mr Bhaskar submitted his report a week ago to the Chief Secretary and he forwarded it to the Department for Personnel and Administrative Reforms, which in turn, issued notice to Ms Amita Prasad on Friday  giving her 15 days to respond.

The government will decide its  future course of action based on her response, say sources.

However, Mr Bhaskar’s report, it is said, does not fully support Ms Rashmi’s allegations. While Ms Rahsmi’s report of August 5 that was given to him for inquiry by the Chief Secretary  covers the entire gamut of funding received by ATI, SIRD and SIUD, he was reportedly not given access to the interim reports in which  she had given more specific information.  

Ms Rashmi, who  took charge as DG, ATI on  July  7 this year, had at a  press conference following the attack on her, demanded a detailed inquiry into the over 16,000 files which could throw light on the irregularities related to  purchases, staff, printing, appointment of consultancies, and agencies for training in ATI, SIUD and SIRD.