Yogi Adityanath orders EOW probe against suspended district magistrate from Unnao

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to investigate the charges against suspended Unnao district magistrate Devendra Kumar Pandey over alleged irregularities in the expenditure of Composite School Grant fund of the Basic Shiksha Department. This move of the UP government comes after CM Yogi had announced that the state government has a zero-tolerance approach toward corruption and crime in 2019. The Chief Minister had suspended the officer on Saturday.

Inquiry by Lucknow Commissioner

The Uttar Pradesh government suspended Pandey over alleged irregularities in the expenditure of the Composite School Grant fund of the Basic Shiksha Department. Kannauj DM Ravindra Kumar will be the new district magistrate of Unnao, an official spokesperson said.

In an inquiry conducted by the Lucknow commissioner, Unnao DM Pandey has been found prima facie responsible for taking wrong decisions in spending the Composite School Grant fund in the district and in the implementation of various programs linked to it, the spokesperson added.

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The inquiry has found that most of the material which had to be purchased under it was procured from one firm in Jaunpur at rates higher than the market rates, the spokesman said, adding the quality of the purchased goods too was below the prescribed standards, the spokesperson said.

The firm too was not registered under the GST, he added. The district basic education officer involved in the case too had been suspended earlier, he said. The irregularity pertains to the purchase of sweaters, sports kit, footwear, socks, books, furnishings and similar gadgets for schools run by the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad.

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Officials suspended

Besides Ravindra Kumar, the government also transferred 12 other senior IAS officers, including district magistrates of Shamli, Saharanpur, Banda, and Pratapgarh. National Health Mission's Additional Managing Director Jasjeet Kaur has been made the Shamli DM, replacing Akhilesh Singh who has been moved to Saharanpur, the spokesperson said. Disciplinary action has been taken against them by suspending them under Rule 8 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules-1969, as per reports. 

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Banking Cooperative's Additional Registrar Andra Vamsi has been made Jhansi DM in place of Shiv Sahai Awasthi, who will be the new special secretary of Sugar and Sugarcane Department, he said, adding Medical Education's Special Secretary Rupesh Kumar and Pratapgarh DM Markandey Shahi will swap posts.

Home and Jail Administration's Special Secretary Bhupendra S Chaudhary and Kushinagar DM Anil Kumar Singh too will swap posts. Medical Education's another Special secretary Amit Singh Bansal will be the new DM of Banda, while Saharanpur DM Alok Kumar Pandey will be the special secretary of the Medical Education Department, the spokesman added. 

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