Scam-linked Chandigarh official transferred

Chandigarh, Nov 5 : Chandigarh's Director of Public Instructions (schools) Samwartak Singh, whose name cropped up in a teachers' recruitment scam, was Thursday transferred from the education department with immediate effect, officials said.

The union territory's Home Secretary Ram Niwas last week wrote to administrator S.F. Rodrigues, proposing the repatriation of Singh to his parent state, Haryana.

"However, the administrator observed that there is no need for repatriation, but the officer should be transferred to some other department. Singh, who was earlier also the director tourism, will continue with this post," a senior official of the administrator, requesting not to be named, told IANS here Thursday evening.

The new appointment for the post of DPI (schools) is likely to be made Friday.

Singh is a Haryana cadre civil services officer on deputation to Chandigarh with the education department.

Police had arrested two men Sep 5 after they offered a woman to get her a post of teacher in the Chandigarh education board. The touts demanded Rs. 400,000 from Kamalpreet Kaur, the complainant, for ensuring her success in interview.

The accused were identified as Jolly, a Chandigarh resident, and Hardev Singh, a resident of Kharar town in Punjab, some 20 km from here.

During the interrogation, Jolly told police that he was in constant touch with Singh, and called the woman on his directions. He said that the official had also provided him the list of other candidates.

While scrutinising call details, police found that Singh had long conversations with Jolly several times. Jolly had also been given some contractual work by the tourism department, headed by Singh, a few months back.

However, during the inquiry, Chandigarh police could not ascertain any direct links of Singh with Jolly and gave the official a clean chit in the case.