Govt appoints tainted education official to block-level position

Activists have raised questions over the appointment of a tainted official to the position of Block Education Officer (BEO) in Bengaluru South (1) by the Department of Public Instruction.

Some of them have filed a complaint with the Lokayukta and the principal secretary at the department over appointing K Prakash to the same position in which he was found to have misappropriated Rs 92 lakh meant to reimburse unaided schools under the Right To Education (RTE) Act in 2016.

After preliminary inquiries confirmed Prakash had misappropriated the funds, authorities filed a criminal complaint against him and appointed an inquiry committee headed by retired judge Radhakrishna Holla.

Departmental inquiry

Activists are now shocked that he has been brought back to the same position even as he faces the committee’s
inquiry.

“When the departmental inquiry is pending (against Prakash), how can the government post him to the same position?” asked Yogananda, general secretary, RTE Students and Parents’ Association, who filed the complaint with the Lokayukta and the principal secretary on the issue.

“We have urged the principal secretary to withdraw the order since there is a high chance that he’ll destroy the evidence against him,” Yogananda said.

To approach CM

RTI activist Marilinge Gowda Mali Patil has said that he would file a complaint with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

“We strongly suspect the involvement of higher officials at the department in the posting,” the activist told DH.

Department officials were unavailable for comment.