Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has ordered an internal enquiry into the alleged irregularities in engagement of guest teachers in AAP Government schools and embezzlement of funds in payment of salaries to “ghost” teachers. The L-G secretariat also directed the Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to submit a status report in 30 days regarding the matter.

Sources in Raj Niwas said that Lieutenant Governor has ordered an internal inquiry into the irregularities in engagement of Guest Teachers in city government schools and embezzlement of funds by paying salary to non-existent or “ghost” guest teachers. The LG Secretariat has asked the Chief Secretary to advise Director (Education) to immediately verify the engagement, physical attendance, and withdrawal of salaries of all guest teachers engaged by the city government in its schools.

The L-G said that such instance of fraudulent withdrawal of government funds should be met with exemplary and deterrent action. Saxena also said that the mechanism of internal audit should be strengthened so that such instances do not go unnoticed and unpunished, they said.

As per the letter written by the secretary to the L-G, Ankita Mishra Bundela to the Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, it stated, while disposing off vigilance matters, instances of irregularities in engagement of Guest teachers and embezzlement of government, funds by way of drawl of salaries of such non-existent guest teachers for years together in Delhi Government schools have come to notice of L-G.

“Saxena has observed that such instances arc of serious concern and cannot occur without the connivance of the Principals/Vice Principals/Teachers/Accounts Functionaries/Staff of the schools and reflect lack of adequate monitoring and supervision by officers at various levels of the Education Department,” it read. “The L-G has desired that any such instance of fraudulent drawl of government funds should be met with exemplary and deterrent action against officials/staff involved in such practices including those at the supervisory level.

Also the mechanism of internal audit should be strengthened so that such instances do not go unnoticed and unpunished,” it read.

“In view of the above, as directed by the L-G, Director Education may kindly be advised to immediately undertake an exercise to verify the engagement, physical attendance, drawl of salaries of all guest tcachcrs engaged in the schools of Directorate of Education and a status report in this regard may kindly be furnished to this Secretariat within a month for kind perusal of Saxena,” the letter further read.

The LG had earlier granted permission to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) for conducting investigation against four serving and retired Vice Principals for fraudulently drawing Guest Teacher’s salary in the name of “non-existent guest teachers” in Government Boys Senior Secondary School (GBSSS-I) in Mansarovar Park, Delhi.

The case pertains to the payment of Rs. 4.21 lakh to three persons namely Samiksha Arya – Rs. 1,35,900/-, Uma Shastri – Rs. 1,42,078/- and ChotteyLal- Rs. 1,43,678/- despite the fact that “neither of the three names were appointed in the school.