I N T H E H I GH COU RT OF U TT A RA K H A N D
A T N A I N I T A L
H ON ’ BLE TH E CH I EF JUSTI CE M S. RI TU BAH RI
AN D
H ON ’ BLE SRI JUSTI CE RAKESH TH API LYAL
W RI T PETI T I ON ( PI L ) N O. 2 9 OF 2 0 2 1
Poor an Sin gh Negi …. . Pet it ioner
Ver sus
Secr et ar y Depar t m en t of Secr et ar y Edu cat ion , Gov er n m en t of
Ut t ar ak h an d & ot h er s …. Responden t s.
Counsel for t he Pet it ioner : None pr esent for t he pet it ioner
Counsel for t he St at e/ 1 t o 4 : Ms. Mam t a Bisht , lear ned Deput y
Advocat e Gener al.
Counsel for t he Respondent No.5 : Mr . Anil Kum ar Bisht , lear ned
counsel
Th e Co u r t m a d e t h e f o l l o w i n g :
JUD GM EN T:
( p er Ho n ’b le Th e Ch ief Ju st ice Ms. Rit u Bah r i)
I n t h e pr esen t Pu blic I n t er est Lit igat ion , t he
r espon den t h as r ef er r ed t o an I n qu ir y Com m it t ee Repor t
dat ed 2 2 . 0 6 . 2 0 20 , w h er e fin din gs h av e been giv en t h at t h er e
w as an illegalit y in pu r ch asin g of ar t icles of sm ar t class set s
in st alled in 4 9 sch ools in t h e Dist r ict , and t he r espon den t
n o. 4 , h ad guilt y f or t h e said cor r u pt ion . The Dir ect or Gener al
Secondar y Edu cat ion v ide it s let t er dat ed 2 9 . 01 . 2 0 2 1 , h ad
r ecom m en ded t h e of fice of r esponden t n o. 1, t o t ak e
appr opr iat e legal act ion again st t he er r in g of ficials.
2 . On n ot ice of t his PI L, as per coun t er af fidav it filed
by t h e Chief Secr et ar y , Gov er nm en t of Ut t ar ak h an d, dat ed
0 3 . 0 1 . 2 0 2 3 , as per t he r epor t giv en by t h e t h r ee m em ber
2
com m it t ee dat ed 2 2 . 0 6 . 2 0 2 0 , it w as f ou nd t h at Sh r i Madan
Singh Raw at , t he t hen Chief Edu cat ion Of ficer w as f ou n d
gu ilt y , and t her eaf t er , t h e m at t er w as r efer r ed t o t h e St at e
Gov er n m en t t o t ak e act ion as per law . Th e Of f icer w as
ch ar gesh eet ed, an d t h er eaf t er , h e w as dem ot ed on t he post
of Depu t y Dir ect or , w hich is on e post low er t h an t h e post
pr esen t ly held by him , v ide or der dat ed 2 2 . 1 2 . 2 0 2 2 ,
An n ex u r e n o. 1 t o t h e w r it pet it ion . Fu r t h er , in quir y w as also
m ar k ed t o t he Vigilance Depar t m en t , t o fin d ou t t h e r easons
f or delay in t ak ing t h e decision, in w hich 5 depar t m en t s of t h e
Gov er n m en t w er e in v olv ed. Or der dat ed 2 3 . 1 2 . 2 0 2 2 ,
An n ex u r e n o. 2 t o t h e w r it pet it ion .
3 . Th er eaf t er count er af f idav it h as been filed on
0 1 . 0 7 . 2 0 2 3 by Secr et ar y , Sch ool Educat ion, Gov er n m en t of
Ut t ar ak h an d, Deh r adu n , w it h r espect t o t h e delay . On inquir y
Sh r i Sunil Kum ar Lak h er a, t he t hen Sect ion Of ficer , Secr et ar y
Edu cat ion, an d on e Sh r i Ram a Sh an k ar Sin gh, t h e t hen
Rev iew Of ficer , Secondar y Educat ion, w er e foun d guilt y . A
let t er w as sen t on 2 4 . 0 3 . 2 0 2 3 t o t h e appoin t ing au t h or it y ,
Secr et ar y , Secr et ar iat Adm inist r at iv e Depar t m en t ,
Ut t ar ak h an d, t o t ak e act ion again st t h ese of f icials. This let t er
is Ann ex u r e n o. 3 . Th er e w as an in quir y , an d as per t he
in quir y r epor t t her e w as delay of 2 4 0 day s at t he lev el of t he
Ru r al Dev elopm en t Depar t m en t , an d t he Secr et ar y Ru r al
Dev elopm en t Depar t m en t , w as also r equest ed t o t ak e act ion
3
at h is lev el v ide let t er dat ed 2 4 . 0 3 . 2 0 2 3 ( An n ex u r e n o. 4 t o
t h e w r it pet it ion) . As per inquir y r epor t dat ed 2 4 . 0 3 . 2 0 2 3 ,
An n ex u r e n o. 5 , t h er e w as a delay of 5 4 day s cau sed by t he
of f ice of Dir ect or Gener al, Sch ool Edu cat ion.
4 . Pu r su ant t o t his, a st r ict w ar nin g h as been giv en t o
Sh r i Sunil Kum ar Lak h er a, t he t hen Sect ion Of ficer , Secr et ar y
Edu cat ion, an d on e Sh r i Ram a Sh an k ar Sin gh, t h e t hen
Rev iew Of ficer , Secon dar y Edu cat ion, v ide it s of fice
m em or an dum dat ed 1 9 . 0 5 . 2 0 2 3 , An n ex u r e n o. 6 , an d as per
t h e let t er sen t by t h e Rur al Dev elopm en t Depar t m en t dat ed
0 6 . 0 6 . 2 0 2 3 , An nex u r e n o. 7 , t he delay w as n at u r al, an d it
could n ot be said t h at t her e w as an y deliber at e delay at t he
lev el of t h e Rur al Dev elopm en t Depar t m en t . As per t h e
Dir ect or Gener al, Sch ool Edu cat ion , t h e inquir y r epor t w as
k ept in a dr op box on 0 4 . 0 5 . 2 0 2 1 , du e t o Cov id 1 9 pan dem ic,
an d t h e w or k of t h e disbu r sem ent w as don e by Sh r i Yadu v eer
Singh Negi, w h o r et ir ed on 3 1 . 0 3 . 2 0 2 2 .
5 . Since appr opr iat e st eps h av e alr eady been t ak en
f or t h e cau se of delay as it w as ev iden t f r om t he af f idav it of
t h e Secr et ar y , Sch ool Edu cat ion , Gov er nm en t of Ut t ar ak h an d
an d pu nishm en t h as also been giv en t o t h e of f icer s, as it w as
ev iden t f r om or der dat ed 2 2 . 1 2 . 2 0 2 2 , An nex u r e n o. 1, and
or der dat ed 2 3 . 12 . 2 0 2 2 , An n ex ur e n o. 2, alon g w it h af f idav it
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of Chief Secr et ar y , Gov er nm en t of Ut t ar ak h an d, n o f u r t her
dir ect ion s ar e r equ ir ed t o be giv en in t his PI L.
6 . I n v iew of t h e abov e, t he PI L is disposed of
accor dingly .
( RI T U B A H RI , C. J. )
( RA K ESH T H A PL I YA L , J. )
th
Dat ed: 30 Apr il, 2024
NR/