MP alleges improper appointments

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 18 SEPT:The district Congress president and South Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury alleged that the social welfare department illegally issued appointment letters to 372 candidates as helpers for anganwadi centre under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in Kaliachak block I.

Mr AH Khan Choudhury expressed unhappiness over the role of social welfare minister, Mr Biswanath Chowdhury for issuing appointment letter to ‘party cadres’ ignoring a writ petition in Kolkata High Court.

On 4 August 2009, the South Malda MP had written a letter to Mr Chowdhury and informed him that an attempt has been taken up from the official level to issue appointment illegally.

The MP had requested him to look into the matter about an illegal attempt that was taken to prepare a panel in 2007 without individual score sheet of selection committee members including the then MLA Rubi Noor and the then sabhapati of Kaliachak Block I panchayat samiti. The MP has asked the Congress workers to start agitation on this issue to stop such practice.

The district Congress general secretary and member of Malda Zilla Parishad, Mr Mostaque Alam claimed: “Yesterday, the child development project officer (CDPO), Mr PK Ghosh issued a total of 372 appointment letters illegally.”

Mr Ghosh has been transferred just after issuing the appointment letters. Mr Alam also told reporters: “All appointment letters were issued illegally yesterday following the RSP leader’s direction”.

However, the district programme officer in Malda Mr Pratyarpan Singha Roy was reportedly directed by top officials on 10 August this year to take initiative to issue appointment letter for the post of helper in ICDS centres in Kaliachak block I.

While Mr Singha Roy declined to carry out the verbal order over phone he was immediately asked to hand over charges to the district social welfare officer.

Mr Singha Roy was transferred to Nadia on 11 August.

Before handing over charges, Mr Singh Roy issued a note in the file of the disputed panel for the appointment of helpers that “the entire panel should be cancelled to avoid legal and administrative complications”.

The individual score sheets, which was prepared by the members of the selection committee after interviewing the candidates in July 2007, ‘vanished’ and later the panel was made without a proper score sheet.

The Congress workers have sought the original score sheet of the applicants based on the Right to Information Act. SNS