Pudukkottai Collector’s PA among 25 officials under DVAC radar

As many as 25 government officials, including the personal assistant to the Collector of Pudukkottai district, are facing corruption charges after the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) began a probe into alleged malpractice in appointing 24 noon meal programme organisers out of 160 vacancies, in 2017.

The agency stumbled upon the large-scale corruption after some applicants filed a petition saying that an unusual delay of eight months in finalising the selection list of noon meal organisers was due to collection of bribes from applicants. “Pudukkottai Collector’s PA had demanded Rs 3 lakh for appointment,” they said in the complaint.

In 2016, the State government had instructed all district Collectors to fill up vacancies for the post of noon meal organisers. The administration had found that there were 160 vacancies in Pudukkottai district alone. After a selection committee of various Panchayat Union officials submitted the list of selected candidates to Collector’s PA Muthu, the district administration approved 131 candidates for the post in October 2017.

During the investigation, the DVAC sleuths found that there were malpractices during the selection process. A number of ineligible candidates were selected and posted in Pudukkottai district. During the inquiry, it was revealed that all processes, including verification of documents, were done by the PA.

DVAC believes that he colluded with other suspects and selected 24 ineligible persons known to him in violation of government norms. Apart from the district Collector’s PA, the DVAC has cited many assistant project officers, assistant elementary education officers and Block Development Officers as accused in the case. The agency noted that the officials fabricated documents to select ineligible applicants.