Bhagalpur, Bihar: Administrative functioning at the Bhagalpur District Education Office has been severely disrupted following the suspension of the District Education Officer (DEO) and the District Programme Officer (DPO), Establishment, in connection with an alleged salary fraud and embezzlement case involving more than ₹98.12 lakh.
The case relates to alleged illegal salary payments processed through the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) portal in the name of a purportedly fictitious specialised teacher, Tanushree, in Sultanganj block of Bhagalpur district.
Following the alleged irregularities, Vijay Kumar Pandey, Director (Administration) of the Education Department, suspended DEO Chandan Kumar and DPO (Establishment) Shashi Chandan Chaudhary. During their suspension, the headquarters assigned to the DEO and DPO have been fixed in Purnia and Darbhanga, respectively.
The action has further aggravated the shortage of officers in the district’s education department, leaving several key administrative responsibilities concentrated in the hands of a single officer.
Shortage of Officers Disrupts Departmental Work
Against five sanctioned officer posts in the district education office, only two programme officers were reportedly working even before the latest suspensions. With the DPO (Establishment) now suspended, DPO Mahesh Prasad has been left to handle multiple important divisions.
His responsibilities reportedly include the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, establishment, planning and accounts, secondary education, and literacy.
The concentration of these responsibilities in one officer has slowed the processing of important financial and administrative files. The shortage is also affecting routine services for teachers and members of the public.
Teachers Face Delays in Salary and Service-Related Work
The impact of the administrative disruption has reportedly been visible over the past two days, with limited activity at the district education office.
Teachers from remote parts of the district have allegedly been returning without their work being completed. Pending matters include salary discrepancies, corrections to service books, arrears payments and departmental No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
The situation has also reportedly caused concern and uncertainty among office employees, who are facing difficulties in maintaining routine operations amid the shortage of senior officials.
Demand for Immediate Appointment of New Officers
Teacher associations and local residents have urged senior education department officials to appoint a full-time DEO and a new DPO (Establishment) in Bhagalpur without delay.
According to departmental sources, the Education Department headquarters in Patna has begun considering names for the vacant responsibilities. New appointments or additional charge arrangements are expected in the coming days, although an official notification is awaited.
The proposed appointments are expected to help restore routine administration and speed up pending salary-related and other departmental work.
Investigation into Alleged ₹98.12 Lakh Fraud Remains Crucial
The department faces two immediate challenges: restoring normal administrative functioning and accelerating the investigation into the alleged fraudulent salary payments.
The actual position regarding the payments is expected to become clearer after the verification of teachers’ documents and a detailed review of the findings at the headquarters level.
Employees, teachers and parents across the district are awaiting the appointment of new officers and further developments in the investigation. The next steps will depend on the department’s official decisions and the findings emerging from the inquiry into the alleged HRMS-related irregularities.
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and further official findings will be necessary to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud and the responsibility of those involved.
