A major financial irregularity linked to the recognition of madrasas and misuse of government funds has surfaced in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has found that 89 madrasas were approved in violation of rules, and teachers were later paid crores of rupees without proper verification under the Madrasa Modernisation Scheme.
According to the report, the case points not only to administrative negligence but also to indications of collusion. The SIT has flagged the roles of several officers, employees and madrasa managers as “questionable”.
FIR recommended against 42 managers, officials also named
The investigation recommends filing FIRs against 42 madrasa managers, two former District Minority Welfare Officers posted in Mirzapur, along with two clerks and a computer operator.
In another finding, a then-officer has been accused of locking madrasas digitally in 2017 without verification and enabling payments amounting to around ₹1.94 crore. Departmental inquiry has been suggested against him.
The matter first came to light in 2020 and was subsequently handed over to the SIT on the recommendation of the Director, Minority Welfare. The report has now been submitted to the state government. Principal Secretary (Minority Welfare) Sanyukta Samaddar confirmed that the report is under examination.
Orders — and the law — were violated
The probe reveals that collusion between madrasa operators and departmental staff led to violations of government orders as well as the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board Act, 2004.
The Act clearly states that a madrasa established or run by a non-Muslim shall not be considered valid. Yet, investigators found at least one madrasa receiving benefits despite the operator being non-Muslim.
Several institutions were granted temporary recognition without due diligence. In many instances:
- Records were never verified
- Payments were cleared without approved budgets
- Figures on paper were altered to justify releases
As a result, more than ₹10 crore was allegedly disbursed illegally.
How the payments were made — what the SIT found
According to the SIT, names of several teachers appeared in the records, but:
- Their academic credentials were not verified
- Attendance records were missing
- In some cases, the persons didn’t exist at all
Despite this, salaries were sanctioned and released.
Much of the process was routed through digital signatures and system approvals, creating an impression of compliance while bypassing scrutiny.
Accountability likely — strong signals from the government
Preliminary findings suggest this is not merely procedural lapse but a case of deliberate financial misconduct. Officials indicate that once the report is fully examined, strict action is likely.
The department has so far refrained from detailed public comment, but sources say that arrests and recoveries cannot be ruled out as the case progresses.
Bigger question — why did oversight fail?
Experts believe timely audits and random verification could have prevented the scam from ballooning.
The case underlines key gaps:
- Stronger checks and balances in e-governance systems are essential
- Field-level physical verification must be mandatory before fund release
For now, the government is reviewing the SIT findings. In the coming days, it will become clear who is held accountable — and how much money can be recovered.
