ACS officer gets compulsory retirement for granting permission to 133 members of madrassas illegally

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government has sent an ACS officer to compulsory retirement for giving permission and recognition to 133 members of senior madrassas illegally. This development came close on the heels of the government sending a BDO (block development officer) into the P&RD (Panchayat and Rural Development) Department on the charge of misuse of funds.

According to sources in the Personnel Department, the government has sent ACS Gita Sharma to compulsory retirement with immediate effect for giving illegal permission and recognition to the members of senior madrassas. The Personnel Department issued an order to this effect with approval from the Chief Minister.

According to the order, a departmental proceeding was drawn up against Gita Sharma, ACS, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup, via a show-cause notice on December 17, 2016 on the charges of committing irregularities while she was holding the post of Deputy Secretary to the Government of Assam, Elementary Education, and in-charge Director of Madrasa Education. She illegally accorded permission and recognition to 133 senior madrassas. Gita Shamra submitted her written statement of defence on April 26, 2019, wherein she denied the charges framed against her.

After a careful examination of the written statement of defence by Sharma and the materials on record, it was decided to hold an inquiry into the charges framed against her, and accordingly, the State Enquiry Officer, Monimala Phukan Borthakur, IAS, was appointed as the Inquiring Authority. The inquiry could not be completed by Borthakur, as she retired from service. Roopjyoti Saharia, IAS, was entrusted as the investigating officer. He submitted the inquiry report on January 29, 2022, and has found that Gita Sharma illegally accorded permission and recognition to 133 madrassas with retrospective effect. The inquiry report was forwarded to Gita Sharma on May 10, 2022, for submission of representation, if any. Gita Sharma submitted a representation through a letter on May 23, 2022. After careful examination of the inquiry report submitted by the Enquiry Officer and materials on record, along with the representation of Gita Sharma, it has been found that Gita Sharma had accorded permission and recognition to members of 133 Madrassas illegally with retrospective effect without having any authority, which is in violation of the statutory provisions as well as government procedures. It also led to avoidable litigation, to which the government had to devote much time and office resources. The illegal actions of the delinquent officer thus amount to gross misconduct, which cannot be condoned as it would otherwise set a bad precedent. It has been decided to impose the penalty of compulsory retirement under Rule 7(v) of the Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964, upon Gita Sharma. The Assam Public Service Commission, after being consulted in the matter, has agreed to the proposed penalty of compulsory retirement for Gita Sharma. The Judicial Department, Government of Assam, on being consulted in the matter, concurred on June 27, 2023, with the decision of imposing a penalty of compulsory retirement upon Gita Sharma, as proposed by the Personnel Department.

The Governor of Assam imposed the penalty of compulsory retirement under the relevant rule on Gita Sharma, ACS, with immediate effect.

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