The appointment of two kin of Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey in the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat has come under scanner with Governor Ram Naik confirming that the allegations were being probed.
“I have received the complaints and the case is being examined. I cannot comment on the issue until I get a final report from the Government,” Naik told reporters here on Friday.
He said as he would be out of station for next three days the decision on this issue would be taken next week. “You will have to wait for my decision till I return,” he said.
The Governor would be going to Kolkata, Andaman and Nicobar and Mumbai. In Kolkata, Naik will participate in 115th birth anniversary function of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and from there will proceed to Port Blair to take part in a function on Veer Savarkar.
“A social activist had lodged a complaint with me and had given some details about kin of Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey being given jobs in Vidhan Sabha Secretariat. The details are being examined,” he said.
Earlier this week social activist, Nutan Thakur, had complained to the Governor about the alleged improper appointment of his two sons-in-law to high posts by UP Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey.
It was reported that the Speaker had appointed his elder son-in-law Pradeep Kumar Pandey on post of Editor on March 22, 2015 and younger son-in-law Narendra Shankar Pandey on post of OSD on May 12, 2015.
Vacancies to these posts were not advertised and the appointments of persons, who even did not fulfil minimum qualifications, were made in a clandestine manner. In case of Narendra Shanker Pandey, even his address of correspondence is that of Mata Prasad Pandey’s MlA flat.
Calling this a serious case of misuse of authority, Thakur has requested the Governor to start an enquiry and take action in the matter.
Meanwhile, BJP MP from Doomariaganj, Jagdambika Pal, has demanded immediate removal of both the sons-in-law of the Assembly Speaker.
“Such misuse of official machinery by a person on the top post is unfortunate and the appointment should be scrapped immediately,” he demanded in a statement from Sidharthnagar.