New Delhi: The Central
government has removed Mr. M. W. Ansari, the secretary of Maulana Azad
Education Foundation (MAEF), a frontline body under the ministry of minority
affairs to implement various minority welfare schemes, in the midst of the
election process.
The secretary, Mr. MW Ansari,
a senior IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre was given the marching orders,
rather unceremoniously through a fax message without giving any reason on May
1. He was reportedly sent off following a tiff with minister K. Rahman Khan on
granting funds to some favourite NGOs and his opposition to issue a contract
for the construction of a new building for the MAF in the heart of Delhi.
The Foundation had come under
fire in the past for spending just Rs 1 lakh in 2011-12 against a budget of Rs
100 crore. It was after this dismal performance that the ministry of minorities
affairs hunted for an appropriate officer to head the Foundation, which is
responsible for distributing scholarships, providing grant-in-aid to NGOs who
work in the areas of providing basic educational infrastructure and facilities
in minority concentration areas. Ansari was asked to immediately handover
charge to DS Bisht, currently the managing director of National Minorities
Financial Development Corporation (NMFDC).
Ansari, who refused to talk
about his exit, said he had no idea why he was removed in the midst of
elections. MAF sources said Ansari's credentials and transparent working style
was the main factor behind his exit from the Foundation.
The Central government has
provided a corpus of Rs 910 crore to the Foundation, which is invested in three
banks. Last year, the amount generated an income of Rs 82 crore for the
Foundation to meet its administrative and infrastructural requirements.
"At the last governing
council meeting, presided by the minister, there was a tiff on blacklisting of
some NGOs and also the minister wanted a contract to be assigned to National
Buildings Corporation (NBC) for the construction of a new building, which was
resisted by secretary Ansari," a source in the MAF said.
Those in the Foundation said
the senior IPS officer, of the rank of director general police, wanted funds to
the tune of Rs 100 crore to be used for the welfare of community, rather than
for construction of a signature building.
MAF officers said Ansari had
energised the institution by providing some 35,000 scholarships mostly to girl
students last year. While blacklisting seven NGOs, he was also instrumental in
disbursing Rs 183 crore to 1,423 NGOs across the country for the upliftment of
educational standards of minority community, an important recommendation of
Justice Rajinder Sachar committee.
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