Describing the FIR registered in the “skill development scam” as “just a matter of conjecture,” former Managing Director of Siemens Suman Bose said on September 17 (Sunday) that verification was never done by the investigating agencies at the Centres of Excellence (CoE) / Technical Skill Development Institutes (TSDI) that had been set up at 40 locations in Andhra Pradesh.
Basically, a build, operate and transfer (BOT) agreement had been signed by the A.P. State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), Siemens Industry Software (India) Private Limited and DesignTech Systems Private Limited for imparting skills to the students, Mr. Bose told the media in New Delhi.
“The project was validated by the Central Institute of Tool Design and training imparted to 2.13 lakh students at the CoE and TSDI, which were operated for two years and given hand-holding for a year later as per the BOT agreement, after which the APSSDC took them over.”Suman BoseFormer Managing Director of Siemens
The project had been duly validated by the Central Institute of Tool Design (CITD) and training imparted to 2.13 lakh students at the CoE and TSDI, which were operated for two years and given hand-holding for a year later as per the BOT agreement, after which the APSSDC took them over, he explained.
KPMG observation
The KPMG International had said in its 2016 annual report that the APSSDC-Siemens project was ‘one of the most successful ones” reviewed by it. This was in addition to the “appreciation” from the Managing Director of the APSSDC, Mr. Bose said.
“In spite of it all, a slew of charges have been framed up against me personally, and many others involved in the project in which there is absolutely no scandal,” Mr. Bose said.
“I had submitted to the courts whatever I could as the ‘State came after me’ over the last two-and-a-half years. Thankfully, I got relief as they (the courts) found no prima facie evidence of any irregularity. Me and my family are still going through a torrid time,” Mr. Bose said.
‘Well-thought-out project’
He further said that Siemens had implemented similar projects in many States and outside the country, and what was done in the primarily agricultural State of Andhra Pradesh was remarkable. The project was planned and grounded after a thorough market research, during which the skill gaps that needed to be filled were identified, Mr. Bose explained.
It was of course business done by Siemens and its partners, but much of what they had contributed to the project was “grants-in-kind,” which were nothing but discounts, Mr. Bose said.
“Under the project, more than 200 laboratories have been set up. There are a whole lot of documents, some of which have been apparently overlooked,” Mr. Bose observed.
‘Wildest allegations’
The picture had been muddied by wildest allegations, and going by the manner in which the false case was built, one need not be surprised if the CITD was accused as a co-conspirator, he said.
“What is happening is a nightmare for the parents of students who completed their training, to be suddenly told that their certificates are invalid. As the finger-pointing continues without an iota of evidence, I am forced to come before the media to try to set the record straight,” Mr. Bose said, while refusing to talk about some specific issues that were sub-judice.
