CS-led panel gets memo from ‘tainted’ candidates

SHILLONG: The committee headed by Chief Secretary Y Tsering has received many representations from tainted candidates following the education scam verdict.
The chief secretary said on Friday that the representations will be examined by the committee.
Earlier, as per the order of the High Court, the state government had on November 28 constituted the committee to hear the grievances of tainted teachers.
VR Syiem, joint secretary of Home and Political departments, and educationist and former principal of Shillong College MPR Lyngdoh are the members of the committee.
The panel will have to submit the report to the Education Department within 60 days with orders against each and every claimant.
It was on November 2 that the Division Bench of the High Court of Meghalaya gave provisions for the candidates who have been found tainted or blemished in the CBI report and the High Level Scrutiny Committee report to make a representation to the chief secretary for consideration as untainted candidates.
The order had said the chief secretary should get the representations examined by a three-member committee, comprising himself and one member from the state civil services having unblemished service record and of impeccable integrity and one independent member from any central or state educational institution or university.
If the committee accepts the representation and treat the candidate as untainted, he or she will be entitled to the right of participation in the fresh selection process on a par with other untainted candidates, the court had said.
If the committee confirms the tainted character of any candidate, he or she will be permanently debarred from seeking any government employment and will also pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 to be deposited in the State Disaster Management Fund, according to the order.