Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 14:
Exposing more dirt in the State Education Department, the KYKL under its Operation New Kangleipak has pulled up more employees on graft charges besides exposing more fake appointments taking the tally to 1153.In a statement, the commander of the Special Task Force of ONK, said that Senior Accountant in the Treasury office of Senapati, Md Ziauddin Khan of Khabeisoi Mamang Leikai has been pulled up on charges of misappropriating lakhs of rupees by fudging the pension books of retired teachers and while working out the arrears of some teachers.
Ziauddin Khan has admitted to fudging the pension books of three teachers, named Kim, Akim and one Tangkhul teacher, said the outfit and added that an LDC working in the DRDA, DC Senapati had identified the three as Assistant Teachers who worked in a Junior High School.
The LDC is identified as Abdul Salam of Lilong bazar, said ONK and added that the needed signatures for identifying the three were appended on the pension books issued by the office of the Accountant General.
For each pension that was issued, Abdul Salam gave Rs 1.5 lakhs to Ziauddin Khan.
This amount was again shared between Khan and two dealing assistants.
Out of the Rs 1.5 lakhs he received, Khan gave Rs 40,000 each to the two.
The pension books were issued in 2003.The dealing assistants have been identified as S Kumar of Singjamei and S Disong of Senapati.
For issuing the arrears of the teachers, Ziauddin used to charge between Rs 500 to Rs 1000 and in the process the whole amount that he pocketed is around Rs 50,000.Though Ziauddin deserves punishment, ONK has decided to let him off this time as he is a diabetes patient since 2000 and keeping in mind the holy month of Islam.
The other three persons implicated in the case Abdul Salam, S Kumar and S Disong should surrender to the outfit within ten days time, it warned.
Four more employees have also been pulled up by the Special Task Force of ONK on graft charges during recruitment of 248 adhoc teachers on Oct 3, 2001 during President's Rule in the State.
The four are Thokchom Dolendro Singh (47) of Bashikhong Torban (Sc graduate teacher at Maiba Jr HS, Senapati), Th Ratana Kameswor Meitei (37) of Kwakeithel Heinou Khongnembi Leikai (Sc graduate teacher at Phadang Govt HS), Golmei Gaipuijai (43) of Kakhulong (Arts graduate teacher at Oinamlong Hr HS Tousem) and Hijam Premkumar Singh (37) of Awang Leikinthabi Shantipur (Physical Education Teacher, Sawombung H/S).
Dolendro and Kameswor are general secretaries of 138 and 56 adhoc teachers, said ONK adding that Golmei and Premkumar are president and cashier respectively of different adhoc teachers association.
The four were pulled up for they took huge amount of money from adhoc teachers on false promises that they would get pay, services regularised and extended.
They formed different groups and associations and altogether took Rs 27 lakhs by charging Rs 30 thousand each.
The appointment of adhoc teachers is one primary reason, why it has become so difficult to weed out fake appointees, said ONK and added that extending services of the adhoc teachers is another factor.
However following a ruling from the Supreme Court, the Chief Secretary had on May 4 this year issued a Discontinuation order to stop the service extension.
Recounting admissions made by the teachers, ONK said majority of them were absorbed into service between 1996 and 1998.On Oct 3, 2001, the then Governor in council recognised 248 of them as adhoc teachers.
Out of this, 108 are graduate teachers, 132 primary teachers, three PET teachers and five nonteaching staff, it said.
Since their services have been extended five times and paid their salaries till February 2004.After the Discontinuation order this year, a total of 211 out of the 248 adhoc teachers are yet to receive their pay for 38 months.
The total number decreased to 211 as 15 of them were appointed under the basis of 'until further order', 11 failed to submit duty certificate to the Director, three passed away, four of them did not turn up for the screening while another four joined other services.
The demand of the adhoc teachers is that some of them be regularised when the Govt recruited 663 graduate teachers and in the appointment to be made for 1132 primary teachers.
the ONK said question of whether to continue with the adhoc teachers or not and whether to release their pending pays rest with the Govt.For ONK, no teacher who does not dispense with his or her duty should be given any remuneration.
Going further, it said that ONK has managed to unearth another 210 cases of fake appointments bringing the tally of such appointments to 1153.Other than 4-5 teachers who were declared as fake appointees by the ONK earlier, none of them contested the finding, it said and added that any teacher who feels he/she was genuinely appointed can always approach the ONK for a fresh screening.
It also announced that education of tiny tots will also fall under the gambit of the ONK and urged all not to indulge in corruption while appointing helpers, workers and supervisors for Anganwadi centres under the Social Welfare Dept.