SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya after going through the reports of the CBI and the High Level Scrutiny Committee (HLSC) on the education scam indicated the need to cleanse the system from interference from any quarters.
The order delivered on Thursday reproduced the relevant portions of the CBI report and that of HLSC. It quoted JD Sangma, the then Director of Elementary and Mass Education now known as School Education and Literacy, as saying it was under the instruction of the then Minister of Education Ampareen Lyngdoh that he had to change the score sheet duly applying white fluid on the original marks as awarded by the members of the board.
Sangma had also handed over a file containing a list received by Lyngdoh from different persons, MLAs and ministers recommending the names of candidate for selection as teachers in lower primary schools.
Sangma had also disclosed that based on the letters and slips of paper containing recommendation in respect of candidates for appointment, he with the help of two more persons (identity not known to him), who were supporters of the Education Minister, applied white fluid on the score sheet and inflated the numbers of the candidates ordered to be appointed by the Education Minister.
The former director had said the work of tampering of score sheet was partially made at the residence of the minister and at his official residence.
However, the then Education Minister had denied the charges levelled by Sangma during the hearing before HLSC.
Both the CBI and the HLSC reports had also mentioned that 81 candidates of Jowai were recommended for appointment by RC Laloo, then Minister of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, Sniawbhalang Dhar, then Parliament Secretary, F War, Advisor to the Chief Minister and M Pariat, MDC, Jaintia Hills.
As many as 108 candidates of Shillong were recommended for appointment by Ronnie V. Lyngdoh (current cabinet minister), Remington Pyngrope, then Parliament Secretary, Charles Pyngrope, then Speaker, Sanbor Shullai, then Deputy Speaker, Prestone Tynsong and AL Hek (MLAs), former MLA Don Kupar Massar, JA Lyngdoh, then Minister of Food and Civil Supply and L Malngiang, then Deputy Chief Executive Member of KHADC.
Twenty-nine candidates of Amlarem were recommended for appointment by RL Tariang, former MLA, Co-Chairman, State Development Reforms Commission, three candidates of Tura and 34 candidates of Dadenggre were recommended for appointment by Limison D. Sangma, then Minister of State.
Following this, the candidates were mostly accommodated and appointed as assistant teachers of LP schools of the five centers.
Concerned over the political interference, the court said, “We are afraid, if the polluters of public morality are not brought to the book, it shall be a travesty of justice and shall shake the faith of entire society in the system which is governed by the rule of law”.
Soft approach flayed
According to the court, HLSC, instead of taking the matter to its logical conclusion with forthright recommendations, chose a softer course, only of recommending the rejection or removal of some of the tainted candidates.
“However, on the core of uncomfortable features, relating to questionable interference in the selection process by the public representatives, only framed the phraseology on morality and thereafter, left the matter to be taken care of future while, perhaps, assuming as if such pretentious propositions would be enough to give a decent burial to the ghost of this scam”, the court said.
