In an another judgment on embezzlement of funds, lokayukta Jharkhand on Wednesday recommended departmental proceeding against as many as five, including registering FIRs on three, erstwhile officials of district education department of Patan.
“As per the provisions Human Resource Development department will need to submit a compliance report within three months from the date of judgment,” said Secretary, Office of lokayukta Dipak Kumar.
In his order lokayukta Amreshwar Sahay found the explanation submitted by the then officials- Arvind Kumari, Ram Yatan Ram, Kamlesh Kumar Tiwari, Ashok Kumar Jha- on allegedly siphoning off funds meant for Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme. While Kumari and Tiwari were Block Education Officer Ram and Jha were posted at Palamau as District Education Officer and District Superintendent of Education during the period when funds were siphoned off. The incident happened in Patan in 2005.
Interestingly, during the investigation conducted by the office of the lokayukta another Block Education Officer- Balehwar Harijan- was also found to be involved in the act of embezzlement. While the Principal Secretary Human Resource Development has been recommended to initiate departmental inquiry against Tiwari and Ram, instructions were given to lodge FIR against Baleshwar, Jha and Kumari besides a initiating a departmental inquiry against them as well.
According to sources, the officials misused their position and circumvented the guideline that mandated that two government schools should not constructed in a radius of one kilometer. However the accused constructed a primary school at Koira Khurd while a middle school at less than a kilometer away at Koira Dih was already existed. The accused allegedly inflated the number of students at the Primary School at Koira Khurd and siphoned off the extra money. Although, the authorities quoted the strength of the school as 66 subsequent inspection exposed that in reality only seven students were taught at the school.
The incident was reportedly brought to the light of the officials of the district administration who had conducted an inquiry in the case however nothing moved beyond inquiry which prompted the complainant Raj Mohan Tiwari to file a complain with lokayukta on January 1, 2011.