Assam: Rs 31,000 to be deducted from an official’s salary per month

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: An official who defrauded the state government of a considerable amount of public money, causing revenue loss, will have his salary deducted by Rs 31,000 per month. It is astonishing that the state government took all of 14 years to arrive at this decision of imposing a penalty in this case.

The then Circle Officer, Guwahati Sadar, Shyamanta Ravi Bara, had to face an inquiry following allegations of making an illegal mutation of land in 2009. In 2010, an inquiry was instituted by the Joint Secretary, Revenue Department, Lalit Gogoi. The report was submitted the same year. It said, “The charges brought against the Circle Officer have been proved beyond reasonable doubt.”

On the basis of the report, departmental proceedings were initiated. He was also making any submission, if he had one. He, however, did not submit any representation. The process of departmental proceedings went on for quite some time.

Finally, on October 21, 2024, the Personnel Department announced that the departmental proceedings had been disposed of and imposed a penalty. The order from the Personnel Department said that the government lost a revenue of Rs 29.77 lakh, and the amount will be recovered by deducting an amount of Rs 31,000 from the official’s salary in 84 months, in equal instalments. And the remaining amount will be recovered or adjusted from the payable gratuity amount of the officer at the time of retirement.

This is just one among innumerable departmental proceedings (DP) that go on for years altogether before they are closed. According to the prevailing rules, such proceedings have to be closed within a period of six months, but a lack of monitoring mechanism delays such DPs from reaching a conclusion on time. It is also alleged that some ‘understanding’ between the two parties involved exists, which delays or renders such DPs meaningless.

Official sources said that there is also scope for the accused official to approach a court of law in case of unnecessary delay of the DP against him.

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