Understanding Andhra Pradesh’s Multi-Crore Skill Development Scam: An Overview

The Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation scam, which involved the alleged diversion of funds worth INR3.71bn ($49m), was recently brought up in the state Assembly. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy accused former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of orchestrating the scam and paying out INR371 crore even before the programme started. The Andhra government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with German company Siemens for the skill development programme, with the government offering to fund 10% of it. The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation found that the government violated the AP Civil Works Code and the AP Financial Code by releasing the funds without calling for any tenders.