Patna, March 30: The state government today said the probe by SC-ST welfare department officials into post-matriculation scholarship scam has led to FIRs filed against 28 educational institutions outside the state, while the vigilance department was investigating it separately.

Replying to a query by BJP MLC Mangal Pandey, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare department's minister Santosh Kumar Nirala provided details about the action taken in the huge scam that broke in 2016.

The scam involved purported swindling of scholarship money by a nexus of officials and educational institutions located in other states that were either favoured, fictitious or unsuitable for higher studies.

"Our department officials registered FIR against 28 educational institutions located outside Bihar after finding several irregularities. We had also handed over the investigations to the vigilance department vide an official letter on February 23, 2016," Nirala said in the Legislative Council.

The minister said the vigilance department lodged a separate FIR at the vigilance police station on November 11 last year and was probing 34 educational institutions that were involved in scholarships to 770 SC and ST students.

"In its FIR, the vigilance has accused then secretary of SC and ST welfare department S.M. Raju, special secretary Suresh Paswan, assistant director Indrajit Mukherjee, in-charge sub-divisional welfare officer Vidhan Chandra Rai and block welfare officer Sanjay Kumar. All the officials have been suspended. Clarifications were sought and received from them and department proceedings have been initiated against them," Nirala added.

The scholarship amount varied according to state, institution and course, but ranged between Rs 50,000 per annum and Rs 1 lakh per annum per student. The state government had allocated Rs 121 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 206 crore for the current fiscal 2015-16.

The department had prepared a list of empanelled educational institutions, which were either unsuitable of higher education or were fictitious. At times fake students were shown as beneficiaries and money was transferred to such institutions.

In one instance, 400 students from Bihar were admitted to three colleges in Aligarh, about whom nobody had ever heard of. A government inquiry at a smaller level had revealed 60 fake students from Nawada.

They were shown as admitted to 12 technical institutions in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka during financial year 2012-13 to pursue various courses.

Allegations are that the scam was going on for a few years and vigilance sleuths are probing to unearth its extent.

Replying to another query by MLC Suraj Nandan Prasad over unauthorised deposits being taken by Sahara India company, which is a non-banking organisation, and non-payment to people whose deposits have matured, finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui said the government was serious about the matter.

"A committee under an ADM-rank officer has been formed. It includes a DSP, an audit officer, an accountant, a chartered accountant and two others to probe the entire matter under the Bihar Protection of Interest of Depositors (Amendment) Act - 2013," Siddiqui said.

"The zonal manager of Sahara India based in Patna has been issued notice to provide required information and send any competent authority to appear before the committee, but no official has appeared so far despite a reminder for it. We will take action as per the probe findings," Siddiqui added.

The finance minister also said a campaign will be launched to crackdown on non-banking finance companies involved in unauthorised collections and duping their clients.