The Mahaling Anchalik Mahavidyalaya in Kalahandi district, which is currently embroiled in unsavoury controversy over the alleged sexual exploitation of young girls and the alleged close link of the Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra with the institution, received financial doles from the State government in violation of standing guidelines.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)’s audit findings apparently throw ample light on the fact that the private institution was unduly favoured by the State government by way of financial grants.

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While the opposition continues to fire all cylinders seeking MoS Mishra’s ouster and CBI inquiry into lady teacher’s death at Mahaling, the governmental favour shown to the institution has ignited a fresh controversy given the opposition’s charge that the institution had turned into a den of vices and senior ministers and powerful ruling party leaders had turned it into their favoured spot for a sexual escapade.

According to the CAG’s 2014 annual technical inspection report on Panchayati raj institutions, the guidelines were infringed to extend grants to the private institution. Funds earmarked for concrete road works were spent on works that were not prescribed under guidelines like road to the private college and corridors and sidewall of women’s hostel.

“In 2011-12, the road was laid to a private college (Mahaling Anchalik Mahavidyalaya) which was under construction”, the audit report said.

Similarly, the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) had spent Rs. 3 lakh for lawns of the private college. The WODC established to bring development in the backward western Odisha had also spent Rs. 6 lakh for concreting lanes of the women’s hostel and corridor and building sidewall.

As per the CAG’s audit findings, these were inadmissible projects and should not have been spent on private institutions. Funds could have been better utilized towards needy sectors.

WODC was quite generous towards the private college and in 2020-21 and Rs 10 lakh was approved to it for adding another classroom and construction of a concrete road to the college campus from the WODC fund.