Lucknow, Jun 1 (IANS): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the basic education minister Satish Dwiwedi is involved in alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 9 crore.

The money was 'spent' in purchasing food and other items for Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) residential schools even as the schools were shut in the panedmic.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh attacked the minister, who was also involved in another controversy over his brother's appointment as assistant professor in Siddhartha Nagar University, and demanded a probe into the scam.

Singh has also accused Dwiwedi of having purchased property for much less than its market value after he was elected MLA in 2017.

"Between February 11 and March 31, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Residential Schools for girls from SC/ST backgrounds were closed due to novel coronavirus pandemic. Despite that, money was reportedly spent on purchasing food, fruits, milk, soap, oil, and stationery. A sum of Rs 9 crore was spent on food when the schools were closed," Singh said.

He said that this included Rs 84 lakh withdrawn in Bareilly, Rs 74 lakh in Bijnore, Rs 68 lakh in Deoria, Rs 31 lakh in Fatehpur, Rs 18 lakh in Ghaziabad, Rs 96 lakh in Gonda, Rs 23 lakh in Mau, Rs 26 lakh in Meerut, Rs 39 lakh in Moradabad, Rs 76 lakh in Pratapgarh and Rs 38 lakh in Varanasi.

"In 2020, a rule was made that photograph of students and their classes would have to be uploaded on the Prerna portal for funds to be released. In Sonbhadra, where funds were taken out for the school, the minister in charge is the basic education minister himself," Singh said.

He further said that he would lodge a formal complaint against the minister with the Lokayukta.