THE WEST Bengal Police have registered 93 FIRs and arrested 11 people in connection with an alleged tablet fund diversion fraud in which money meant for tablets for school students was fraudulently transferred by hacking into the state education department’s portal, officers said on Friday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said her administration is “strong, rough and tough” and would not tolerate such “scams”, adding that the TMC government has formed a special team to probe the issue.

Till date, at least 1,911 students – intended beneficiaries of the state government’s Taruner Swapna scheme – from across the state have alleged that they have not received money (Rs 10,000) for buying tablets, police added. The West Bengal Police on Friday formed a Joint Investigation Monitoring Team comprising at least two ADGs and other senior officers to probe the matter.

The Taruner Swapna scheme is an initiative under which the government transfers Rs 10,000 to the bank accounts of each (eligible) higher secondary student of government schools to purchase a tablet or mobile phone. Students from at least 15 districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, have been affected. Earlier, the Kolkata and Malda police set up Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to probe the matter.

“A joint team of senior officers is investigating the issue and 11 people have been arrested so far,” said ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar. As per government data, around 16 lakh students were eligible for receiving the money. 99 per cent students received the money and 0.01 per cent students didn’t. A total of 1,911 students have been affected.”