UP govt suspends Unnao DM over anomalies in school funds

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday suspended Unnao district magistrate Devendra Kumar Pandey over alleged irregularities in the expenditure of the Composite

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday suspended Unnao district magistrate Devendra Kumar Pandey over alleged irregularities in the expenditure of the Composite School Grant fund of the basic shiksha (basic education) department, a state government spokesperson said.

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Kannauj DM Ravindra Kumar is the new district magistrate of Unnao, the spokesperson added.

An inquiry conducted by the Lucknow commissioner found the Unnao DM Pandey prima facie responsible for taking wrong decisions in spending the Composite School Grant fund in the district and in implementation of various programmes linked to it, the spokesperson said.

The inquiry had 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 and the quality of the goods procured too was below the prescribed standards, the spokesperson added. The firm too was not registered under the GST, said the spokesperson.

The irregularity pertains to purchase of sweaters, sports kit, footwear, socks, books, furnishings and similar gadgets for schools run by the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad.

The district basic education officer involved in the case too had been suspended earlier, said the spokesperson.