Monday, July 8, 2019

DVAC books 3 ex-MLAs, 6 edu officials for scam
Irregularity In Hiring Sanitary Workers, Watchmen

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.07.2019

The state government’s anti-corruption wing on Thursday booked three ex-MLAs and six education department officials, including the current director of matriculation schools, in a case pertaining to alleged irregular appointment of sanitary workers and watchmen in Madurai district around seven years ago.

The former MLAs are M Muthuramalingam (Thirumangalam), P V Kathiravan (Usilampatty) and the late A K Bose (Madurai North).

The other accused are S Kannappan, director of matriculation schools; J Santhamoorthy, former Usilampatti district educational officer; S Nagarajamurugan, former Madurai chief educational officer; V Rajarajeshwari, former joint director (personnel) in the directorate of school education; and P Mani and K Devarajan, former directors of school education.

The directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) says that on the recommendation letters issued by the MLAs, the six education department officials appointed six sanitary workers and three watchmen who did not deserve the jobs. While the agency has slapped corruption charges, the FIR does not mention any details of monetary or any other pecuniary benefits accruing to the government officials.

In 2012, the then principal secretary to the higher education department sanctioned 13 posts of watchman and 25 posts of sanitary worker in Usilampatti educational district as part of a state-wide drive. Totally 28 were appointed. A candidate who wasn’t selected obtained details under RTI and filed a case in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court alleging irregularities. the DVAC probed and found that some candidates were selected based on recommendation letters given by the MLAs.

In the FIR, the DVAC stated that some candidates who were eventually selected did not participate in counselling. The agency detailed which selected candidate was given a recommendation letter by which MLA. The DVAC also detailed how the officials had explicitly mentioned the recommendations obtained by the candidates.

The DVAC also documented how officials sent instructions to their deputies via phone messages to show the final selected list to the ruling party MLA.

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