The scheme was started in Andhra Pradesh in the government of Chandrababu Naidu to provide skill development training to the youth. The scheme was to provide necessary skill development training to the youth to work in heavy industries located in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas. Under the scheme, the government had given the responsibility to a company Siemens. Under the scheme, six clusters were created and a total of Rs 3300 crore was to be spent on them. In which Rs 560 crore was to be spent on each cluster.
The then Chandrababu Naidu government told the cabinet that under the scheme the state government will spend 10 percent of the total expenditure i.e. Rs 370 crore. The remaining 90 percent of the expenditure will be borne by skill development training company Siemens. It is alleged that Chandrababu Naidu’s government transferred Rs 371 crore to be spent under the scheme to shell companies. There is also an allegation against the former CM that documents related to creating shell companies and transferring money to them were also destroyed.
ED is also investigating
Andhra Pradesh’s skill development scam is also being investigated by the ED. A few months ago, ED had also attached assets worth Rs 31 crore of Designtech Systems Private Limited, the company accused in this scam. It is alleged that through this company, government scheme money was transferred to shell companies and fake invoices were also prepared. ED is investigating the case from the angle of money laundering. ED had registered a case against former Siemens Company MD Somyadri Shekhar Bose, DesignTech Company MD Vikas Vinayak Khanvelkar, PVSP IT Skills Project Pvt Ltd and Skiller Enterprises Pvt Ltd CEO Mukul Chandra Agarwal, CA Suresh Goyal in this case.
