Port Blair, Feb 05: The Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, A & N Islands has demanded a CBI enquiry into alleged financial irregularities committed in the Directorate of Health Services.
The General Secretary of the Association, Mr. T.S.Sreekumar in a letter sent to the Lt. Governor of these islands, has drawn his attention towards the mis-appropriation of a huge amount of money by a Senior Accountant posted in the Directorate of Health Services.
He also brought to the notice of the Lt. Governor that normally, a Higher Grade Clerk or a Lower Grade Clerk is assigned the charge of Cashier in any office, but in this particular case, a Senior Accountant from Accounts Cadre was given the charge of cashier and allowed him to continue to hold the charge of Cashier for more than 08 years.
The General Secretary pointed out that a large amount of money of employees working in the Health Department was also mis-appropriated and these employees are running from pillar to post to get back their money. He also expressed concern that even after the news in the media about the suicide by the Senior Accountant and the mis-appropriation of huge amount of money, the authorities concerned are yet to come out with a press release about the issue.
Mr. Sreekumar informed the Lt. Governor that neither the Bank concerned nor the Pay & Accounts Office, Port Blair has made any attempt to detect the above-said financial irregularities and misappropriation of money by the Cashier.
The Association is of the opinion that the involvement of higher authorities in this incident can only be properly unearthed through an impartial and higher standard of investigation for which an agency like CBI will be more suitable. As such, the Association has demanded for a thorough and impartial investigation by the CBI in the matter.
