Pune/Washim (Maharashtra), July 11 (IANS) Under a dark cloud for misconduct, a Maharashtra cadre IAS Probationary Officer (IAS-PO) Pooja Dilip Khedkar took charge of her new assignment as Assistant Collector at the Washim Collectorate, here on Thursday.

The development came three days after she got the marching orders from the Pune Collectorate following an adverse report on her bizarre behaviour, demands not befitting her current status as an IAS-PO, ‘grabbing’ a senior government servant’s office, plus questions raised about her OBC-Creamy Layer caste credentials.

In a brief interaction with the media in Washim, Pooja Khedkar, 31, appeared unruffled by the barrage of allegations against her and said she “is not permitted to speak anything” in the matter.

Ranking 841 in the 2023 UPSC list of successful candidates, Khedkar was posted at the Pune Collectorate as a Probationary Assistant Collector in March 2023 for two years — which itself was billed as an irregularity since an IAS officer’s first assignment is usually not in his/her hometown.

In the recent past, a Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar made a series of exposes against the ‘aristocratic’ Pooja Khedkar, her father Dilip K. Khedkar, a retired state government officer, their wealth, alleged questionable documents and reports that they had threatened senior officials with dire consequences if they failed to extend official privileges that were beyond her entitlements.

Ostensibly having a penchant for flaunting her status, connections and wealth plus name-dropping, Khedkar zoomed around in her personal high-end Audi A4 on which she had unauthorisedly installed a red-blue flashing beacon light, a ‘Maharashtra Government’ sticker and got a VIP registration number allegedly with the help of an outside contractor.

She demanded — or helped herself to — other things that are beyond the reach of IAS-POs, ‘taking over’ an office of a Resident Deputy Collector in the Pune Collectorate, ordering the revenue assistant to provide her with a letterhead, business cards, name-plate, the Indian insignia, intercoms and other paraphernalia.

As murmurs and complaints against her mounted, last month the Pune Collector, Suhas Diwase shot off a letter to the Chief Secretary, highlighting all the alleged irregularities perpetrated by Khedkar that finally led to her transfer to Washim on June 8.

The RTI activist Kumbhar has cited official records to show that Khedkar’s parents with an OBC non-creamy layer certificate, possess huge assets either singly, or jointly in different parts of the state, and her father Dilip K. Khedkar had contested the Lok Sabha 2024 elections as a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi nominee but trailed in the fourth position.

The family wealth includes 110 acres of land violating the Agricultural Land Ceiling Act, six commercial premises of 1.6 lakhs sq. feet, seven flats including in the post-Hiranandani Complex in Powai (Mumbai), around one kg of gold jewellery, diamonds, multiple bank accounts, a gold watch worth Rs 17 lakh, and a Rado watch worth Rs 60,000, at least three cars of foreign make and one India, partnerships/ownerships in three companies, and Pooja Khedkar has also property allegedly worth Rs 17 crore, according to Kumbhar.

As the issue snowballed into a major topic of debate on social media, Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has assured of action against Pooja Khedkar for flouting the laws pertaining to the use of beacon and Maharashtra government insignia on her private vehicle.

–IANS

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Mysuru, (Karnataka) July 11 (IANS) Reacting to the BJP’s demand for his resignation over alleged irregularities in the tribal welfare Board, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who holds the finance portfolio, questioned whether Union Finance Minister Sitharaman and Prime Minister Modi would resign over bank frauds in the country.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “A scam has taken place in banks, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman must resign, and the Prime Minister should also resign. Will they tender their resignations?

“The probe is ongoing, and the report is pending. No preliminary or final report has been released yet. Once the charge sheet is submitted, the report will be provided.”

When asked about the huge transactions not coming to his notice, CM Siddaramaiah responded, “It won’t always come to me. The stipulated amount would be released to the authorities concerned from the treasury. It won’t come to my knowledge or require my signature. The probe is not over yet. I am repeatedly saying that no report regarding the case has been submitted.”

He added, “Let the probe be completed and the report be submitted first. How can you fix responsibilities before it is over?”

CM Siddaramaiah further pointed out that it is not possible to transfer money directly from the government treasury.

He said the authorities in the treasury would provide funds, which could later be misappropriated.

Three agencies, CBI, ED, and SIT are investigating the case.

“Let the SIT report come out first,” he emphasised.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar on Tuesday admitted that the misuse and misappropriation of funds by officers in the tribal welfare Board had taken place, and the ministers had assured him that they had no role in it.

The BJP is alleging direct involvement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the irregularities.

The BJP is also demanding resignations of Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil and Board Chairman Basanagouda Daddal.

–IANS

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Chandigarh, July 11 (IANS) Haryana’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday stitched a pre-poll alliance for the state Assembly elections likely to be held in October.

INLD Secretary General Abhay Chautala and BSP national coordinator Akash Anand said the alliance would explore options to join hands with other like-minded social and political outfits.

The alliance’s Chief Minister face would be Abhay Chautala, the grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister and state’s tallest Jat leader, Chaudhary Devi Lal.

While the INLD would contest on 53 out of 90 seats, the BSP would fight on the remaining 37 seats.

As per the manifesto, both parties promised to do away with contractual employment by offering permanent jobs, setting up solar plants to minimise the electricity bill of each household to Rs 500, besides free water, old-age pension of Rs 7,500 per month, Rs 21,000 unemployment allowance and one employed person in every house.

For the Scheduled Castes, there would be a 100-yard plot for each family, free coaching for competitive exams, free education up to Class 10, etc.

After the feud within the INLD, five-time Chief Minister O.P. Chautala’s grandson Dushyant split the party vertically in 2018 and formed the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP). In 2019, the JJP extended support to the BJP to form the government in the state. In March, it withdrew its support.

–IANS

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Mysuru (Karnataka), July 11 (IANS) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he was being targeted as he belongs to a backward class and yet became the CM a second time in Karnataka.

He said this in Mysuru to the media while reacting to his alleged involvement in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam.

“Everyone is upset because, despite being from a backward class, I became Chief Minister for the second term…they are burning and hatching a conspiracy,” said CM Siddaramaiah, who described the allegations against him as political.

When asked about the protest organised by the BJP against the MUDA land scam in his native Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah said, “We have ordered a probe. The BJP is taking the issue politically. We will also deal with it politically.”

Answering a question on BJP’s state chief B.Y. Vijayendra’s protest in Mysuru, the CM said, “Let the BJP National President J.P. Nadda also do it. If they do it, we will also certainly deal with it politically. We also know how to counter it politically.”

CM Siddaramaiah further said that those who make charges should explain where illegal activities have occurred. “I am claiming it as legal when they claim it as illegal. They have to show and prove it. Before conversion, it was agricultural land. Conversion happened in 2005, the DC converted it, and I have no connection. Mallikarjunaswamy is my brother-in-law, and he has legally gifted it. Where is the illegality?”

“Suppose it is mentioned as agricultural land, though it is developed into a layout, is it a great offence?” CM Siddaramaiah said.

“Until 2010, after conversion, it was a farmland until it was gifted. Afterwards, in 2014, MUDA illegally acquired it, and sites were formed and distributed. Should I just let it go? Compensation has been sought. They have not sought it in a particular locality. BJP was in power in 2021. The allotment was made during the BJP rule, and they are making an issue now,” CM Siddaramaiah claimed.

“In a similar case, one Sundaramma approached the high court on this matter. The court fined MUDA Rs 1 lakh and directed authorities to grant land. If the mistake was committed during the BJP rule, who is responsible for this? We had not asked for it. When their government was in place, how was Siddaramaiah responsible then?” he said.

“They are highlighting my claim of getting Rs 62 crore compensation. As per rules, the compensation amount has to be three times more now,” he stated.

Replying to a question on social activist T.J. Abraham’s complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in this regard, CM Siddaramaiah said that whenever the Commission seeks clarification, he is ready to provide answers.

T.J. Abraham, President of Karnataka Anti-Graft and Environmental Forum, has appealed to the ECI to initiate proceedings against the Chief Minister by filing a criminal complaint and also to take necessary action under Section 125 A and Section 8 of the Representation of People’s Act and under sections 227, 229, 231, and 236 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for filing a false affidavit, along with nomination papers during the 2013 Assembly election, to uphold the law.

The Chief Minister is facing allegations of fabricating documents regarding a piece of 3.16 acres of land in his wife’s name and fraudulently getting 14 sites worth Rs 2 crore each allotted by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The state BJP is demanding his resignation and will organise a large-scale protest in Mysuru on Friday.

–IANS

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Sambhal (UP), July 11 (IANS) Addiction to the mobile game Candy Crush cost a teacher in a government school his job.

The teacher has been suspended for playing Candy Crush on his phone and talking on the device during duty hours.

The incident came to light when District Magistrate Rajendra Pansiya went to the school for a random check, and found scores of mistakes in students’ copies starting from the first page to the last.

Later, a feature on the teacher’s phone, which tracked hours dedicated to applications, revealed that he spent nearly two hours playing Candy Crush during school hours.

“Teachers should focus on checking the classwork and homework of students, and ensure that they get quality education. Also, using mobile phones is not a problem, but using them for personal reasons during school hours is not right,” the District Magistrate told reporters.

Pansiya checked six pages of six students’ copies, and spotted 95 mistakes, with nine being on the first page itself.

He expressed displeasure about this and checked assistant teacher Priyam Goyal’s phone.

The Digital Wellbeing feature on the teacher’s phone then revealed that of the five-and-half hours of school hours, Priyam Goyal spent nearly two hours playing Candy Crush, talked on the phone for 26 minutes, and used social media apps for almost 30 minutes.

The District Magistrate apprised the state education department of the matter, who took cognisance of the same and suspended the assistant teacher.

–IANS

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