Unnao DM suspended over irregularities in expenditure of school education funds: Official

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday suspended Unnao District Magistrate Devendra Kumar Pandey over alleged irregularities in expenditure of 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 implementation of various programmes linked to it, the spokesperson added.

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

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.

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.