Maharashtra Government has constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into Shalarth ID Scam. Pune’s Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar will head the SIT. The members of the SIT are Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Dr Manojkumar Sharma and Joint Director (Administration, Estimation and Finance), Office of Education Directorate Harun Aatar. The SIT is expected to investigate the appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff, their transfers from the unaided institutions to the aided ones. The SIT will also investigate various approval of the posts and it will also suggest the changes should be made in the process. It will also examine the cases from 2012 to till date.

 

The SIT is expected to submit its report within 3 months. Meanwhile, All Maharashtra Teaching Service Gazetted Officers Association has decided to go on one-day strike on Friday. The association has protested the arrest of educational officers in the Shalarth ID Scam in Nagpur. The Association had protested last week also and observed one day strike alleging that principles of natural justice was not followed. At least 16 people were arrested for their alleged involvement in the scam. They include senior education officers, school principals, and institution heads. Two primary education officers — Rohini Kumbhar and Siddheshwar Kaluse of Nagpur Zilla Parishad — too were grilled with an allegation of creating bogus IDs on the Shalarth portal. According to these officers, the real culprits who committed the crime should be arrested and strict legal action be taken against them.

 

Because of the arrests, a fear has been created among the officers. The inquiry and action should be conducted as per school rules, pointed out the officers. MLA Pravin Datke had raised the issue in an aggressive manner during the Monsoon Session of State Legislature at Mumbai and Government promised to constitute the SIT. So far, a very few teachers have come forward and confessed that the institution operators took money. After that, however, the teachers have suddenly started being uncooperative. It is known that the educational institution operators have also turned their backs. As a result, not a single educational institution operator has been arrested in this case after Dhote. The main accused in the scam, Pay Superintendent Nilesh Waghmare has been absconding for one-and-a-half months.