E-Paper
High court wants a deeper look at appointment of Punjab DGSE’s OSD
Hired as a contractual employee, officer on special duty has been leading inquiries, prompting court to dig deeper
A contractual employee of the Punjab education department being entrusted with a probe against a school principal has caught the attention of the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Unsatisfied with the state counsel’s submissions in the matter, the high court bench of justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu has now told the Punjab director general of school education (DGSE) to submit details of the appointment, salary and other facilities being given to IPS Malhotra, his officer on special duty (OSD).
In the latest hearing of the plea by the principal on July 22, the court directed the DGSE to file an affidavit detailing relevant rules, regulations, instructions or decisions of competent authority vide which the post of OSD to DGSE was created, and total remuneration and other facilities being provided to him.
The court has also sought to know by August 11 whether before appointing Malhotra the post was advertised in any newspaper, and information on the financial head under which funds were made available for the post.
Besides, the DGSE was told to provide complete details of all departmental inquiries entrusted to Malhotra and their status so far.
The appointment came under scanner during the plea of Himachali Devi, a school principal, against whom Malhotra is conducting a departmental probe.
In the previous hearing of this plea on July 15, the court had asked the state’s counsel to provide a copy of the order vide which Malhotra was appointed as OSD.
But on July 22, the counsel only submitted that post retirement from the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (PUNSUP), Malhotra was appointed as OSD to DGSE for one year from August 14, 2017. The counsel was not aware about any further extension given to him, leading the court to seek details from the DGSE.
School principal had sought closer posting
The school principal, Himachali Devi, had approached the high court on June 28 after the state government failed to decide on her request despite a legal notice on January 11, 2021.
Having lost her parents in the past two years and facing departmental proceedings in Mohali, Devi, who retires in June 2022, had requested the department to transfer her from Ferozepur to Mohali, where she also lives, or to neighbouring districts like Ropar or Fatehgarh Sahib.
Her counsel Vipin Mahajan had argued that even a 2018 policy provided for “favourable” posting to an employee who was about to retire.
After her parents’ demise and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was difficult for her to live alone in Ferozepur. Also as the probe officer in the departmental proceedings going on against her was in Mohali, it was difficult for her to visit the town every now and then to join the probe, the court was told.
This is when it came to light that Malhotra’s post was not cadre based and he was a contractual employee, prompting the court to seek details about his appointment.
