New Delhi, Sep 15 : The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena, on Thursday granted permission to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to conduct an investigation against four serving and retired vice-principals of Delhi government schools under the Directorate of Education who allegedly paid salaries in the name of ‘ghost guest teachers’.
“Vice-principals Chhote Lal Shastri (retd), Satyendar Kumar Sharma (retd), Rajiv Kumar and Ravinder Kumar Jatav committed misappropriation/embezzlement of government funds and fraudulently drew guest teacher’s salary in the name of ‘non-existent guest teachers’ at Government Boys Senior Secondary School (GBSSS-I) in Mansarovar Park, Delhi,” read a statement from the L-G office.
In the instant case, an audit carried out in November 2018 observed that at GBSSS-I, for the period between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2018, there were discrepancies and irregularities in preparing the bills in respect of salary of guest teachers and it reported misappropriation of government funds, said an official from the L-G office.
“It was found that payment of Rs 4,21,656 was made to three persons — Samiksha Arya (Rs 1,35,900), Uma Shastri (Rs 1,42,078) and Chottey Lal (Rs 1,43,678) — despite the fact that ‘neither of the three names were appointed in the school’. In fact, one of them, Uma Shastri, was the wife of then vice-principal, Chhotey Lal Shastri,” he said.
These irregularities and discrepancies were detected for the first time in November 2018 by the audit team, and since the matter pertained to embezzlement of government funds, it was taken up with the ACB for the registration of an FIR.
The ACB then moved for grant of permission for the registration of an FIR. Thereafter, the matter was examined by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV), which proposed for approval of the L-G for proceeding with the probe.
The said proposal sent by the DoV on August 28, 2022 was passed by the L-G with the following noting: “I have carefully considered the submission on the pre-pages and the facts and records of the case and I am of the view that this matter requires to be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Branch, GNCTD. In view of the foregoing, I hereby accept the request of Anti-Corruption Branch, GNCTD, and grant permission under Section 17A of the POC (Amendment) Act, 2018 for conducting investigation.”(IANS)