WRONGFULLY REMOVED CLEANING AGENCY, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TAKES ACTION

WRONGFULLY REMOVED CLEANING AGENCY, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TAKES ACTION

14-DEC-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR-----------------------------The alleged arbitrariness in the name of cleanliness in the district's government schools is now proving costly. Due to the continuous campaign and fact-based reporting by Keshav Times, the Education Department has finally had to take a strict stance. The department's Director (Administration), Manoranjan Kumar, has issued clear and strict instructions to the DEO in this entire matter, paving the way for action against the wrongfully removed agency, the arbitrarily selected second agency, and the responsible officials.

The alleged arbitrariness in the name of cleanliness in the district's government schools is now proving costly. Due to the continuous campaign and fact-based reporting by Keshav Times, the Education Department has finally had to take a strict stance. The department's Director (Administration), Manoranjan Kumar, has issued clear and strict instructions to the DEO in this entire matter, paving the way for action against the wrongfully removed agency, the arbitrarily selected second agency, and the responsible officials.

In fact, in August-September 2023, three agencies were selected by the Education Department for cleanliness work in the district's government schools.

Of these, two agencies did not come forward to work, while JKSB Skill India was allocated work in five blocks. The agency had also started work as per the rules. Meanwhile, the then DEO Anil Dwivedi, disregarding the rules, handed over the cleanliness work of three blocks to First Idea (or First India Digital) Housekeeping Agency.

This decision was not only against the departmental selection process, but it also disregarded the principles of transparency and natural justice. This is where the matter escalated. Keshav Times raised questions about the selection of the First Idea agency and revealed with facts how the agency selected by the department was removed and another agency was arbitrarily given the work at the district level. This issue gradually moved from administrative corridors to become a political and public interest matter. The matter was raised in the DISHA meeting,

where serious questions were raised. Following this, an inquiry was conducted by officials of the Education Department, which revealed several shocking facts. Meanwhile, MP Sudhakar Singh also considered the entire matter serious and sent a letter to the District Magistrate requesting an investigation. The DM formed a three-member inquiry team and conducted a detailed investigation into the matter. The investigation clearly revealed that a clarification was sought from JKSB Skill India on November 11, 2023, even though a letter of agreement had already been issued to First Idea Agency on November 6, 2023.

This means that the decision had already been made, and the subsequent actions were merely formalities. This raised serious questions about the intent and transparency of the entire process. After the inquiry report came to light, the Education Department officials sought guidance from the department on the entire matter. The instructions sent by the Education Department clearly show that the campaign run by Keshav Times has had a direct impact. The department has instructed the DEO to identify the officer who acted arbitrarily and issue a charge sheet against him.  Furthermore, the work of the agency that was wrongly awarded the contract should be evaluated. If the work is found to be satisfactory, payment can be made according to the rules.

The agency selected by the department should be given an opportunity to present its case under the principles of natural justice, and then a clear order should be issued. This stance of the Education Department makes it clear that it will no longer be easy to defend decisions made by disregarding the rules. This case is not only becoming an example of administrative accountability but also shows that when the media raises questions responsibly, the system has to respond. In short, this case related to the cleanliness of government schools has now transformed into a major administrative message that arbitrary actions will not be tolerated, and action will be taken against wrong decisions. The most crucial role in this was played by the effective journalism of Keshav Times, which brought this issue to its conclusion.