Millions of pounds of aid for education and the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', has disappeared into the depths of corruption

UK inquiry into misuse of India education aid

London: Britain has launched an inquiry into reports that millions of pounds of aid for education and the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', has disappeared into the depths of corruption without any benefit to the poor children the aid was intended for. 
Shocked by reports based on findings by the ministry of human resources development, Andrew Mitchell, secretary of state for international development, said, "I have launched an immediate inquiry to ensure British aid money has not been misused. The new British government will have a zero tolerance policy to corruption". 
Reports in the British media about the corruption mentioned a figure of £340 million in aid to a schools project for children under the age of 14. 
One audit of money earmarked for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan project found that £70 million had reportedly vanished. Mitchell said, "When I took up this job a month ago I made a pledge to taxpayers that they must know that for every pound of their money, we will get 100 pence of value". The News of the World tabloid quoted a report by India's auditor general that almost £14 million had been spent on items and luxuries that had nothing to do with schools. 
The newspaper's investigation said, "We discovered that officials throughout the country had used it to buy new cars and in one instance aid cash was spent on four luxury beds costing a total of £17,754 as well as a £3,803 computer".
Large amounts of money were shown to have been spent on schools that reportedly did not exist, while in some cases air conditioners, faxes, photocopiers and 7,531 colour television sets were bought despite there being no electricity supplies. 
The report said that £1,50,000 was paid into a mystery bank account. It quoted a report by the institute of public auditors of India that in Bihar children were being taught in open fields, because money had not been passed on for classroom repairs. —PTI