Lok Ayukt indicts IAS Nand Kumar

     Raipur, March 6, 2010: In a significant development, Chhattisgarh Lok Ayukt today indicted School Education Secretary Nand Kumar and recommended heavy punishment against him for committing irregularities in appointments.

     In the case of appointment of Shalini Raman and Prashant Sukhdeve as the Director and Assistant Director respectively of the Chhattisgarh Mahila Samakhya Society “misconduct has been established against Nand Kumar and three other officials of the Education Department,” Lok Ayukt Justice L C Bhadu said in his report to the state Government.

     It was therefore recommended to the Chief Minister to order for institute of regular Departmental Disciplinary Inquiry for the charge of misconduct under the Central Civil Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1965 for major penalty after the inquiry if the charge is proved, he said.

     During the probe in to the allegation of one Smriti Sharma about the appointments in Mahila Samakhya, the Lok Ayukt found several irregularities and misconduct by four of the education department officials, including the Maharashtra cadre IAS Nand Kumar, Lok Ayukt sources told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

     It was found that the person outside the state were not only appointed, but also without evaluating their papers, full marks had been awarded to them to select them, among other irregularities in the process of recruitment in the Education Department, the sources said.

     After the probe Justice Bhadu said “as Shalini Raman and Prashant Sukhdeve being ineligible for the post of Director and Assistant Director respectively, therefore their appointments be terminated”.

     The Lok Ayukt also recommended Departmental Disciplinary Inquiry with punishment and appropriate penalty against the G R Chandrakar, presently District Education Officer Balouda Bazar, R K Sharma, Block Education Officer Dharsiwa, and Bajrang Prajapati, Assistant programme Coordinator, Rajiv Gandhi Sikshya Mission, Raipur for their alleged misconduct.