School board must pack bags – Bhatia

PUNE, May 7: In his attempt to cleanse the civic administration, Municipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia today took yet another drastic step b...

PUNE, May 7: In his attempt to cleanse the civic administration, Municipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia today took yet another drastic step by recommending to Mayor Datta Gaikwad the suspension of members of school board for their “alleged misbehaviour and involvement” in the manner uniforms for students had been purchased.

Bhatia took the decision hours after he received a committee report this evening. The one-man committee of octroi chief M P Vaidya had passed severe strictures against officers and members of the school board in the purchase of uniforms from Jalgaon-based Sad Group. The school board had purchased school uniforms worth Rs 52.10 lakh from the Sad Group.

Endorsing the report of the committee, Bhatia recommended suspension of school board members under section 9 (2) of Bombay Primary Education Act, 1947.

Bhatia has also held education officer V R Kamble guilty and has refused to extend his service tenure. After he retired last month, Kamble had sought extension, something which had been supported by the Mayor. Education officer Y R Nikam, in-charge of high schools and technical education, has been asked to look after Kamble’s post for the time being.

According to the committee report, the school, violating conditions in the tender, paid 90 per cent of the bill amount even though the Sad Group had not delivered the entire consignment.

The committee report says tender conditions had made it clear that payment would be made only after complete supply of the uniforms and its inspection. Vaidya said the full payment was made to the contractor only to favour him.

The committee report says that the Sad Group had no manufacturing unit within the jurisdiction of PMC, which is again a violation of the tender conditions.

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The report has taken note of the fact that tender conditions made it clear that school board members would confirm that the aspiring firm had a manufacturing unit in the city. The report has blamed board members for not fulfilling this condition.

The report says that the Sad Group had not delivered about 13,000 school uniforms and it was also found that several uniforms had not been stitched properly.

It may be recalled that the school board’s decision to purchase uniforms from Sad Group had kicked off a controversy last year with several corporators accusing board members of financial irregularities. The issue also had rocked the general body with all the corporators launching a blistering attack on the school board and even demanding dissolution of the board.

It remains to be seen what stand the corporators will take since Bhatia’s recommendation has to be passed by the general body.