In a stern move highlighting administrative accountability, Kanpur District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh on Friday withheld the December salaries of three key block-level education officers. This decisive action came after a comprehensive review revealed unsatisfactory performance and glaring lapses in school infrastructure development within the Bilhaur and Chaubepur blocks.
Salaries Withheld Over Infrastructure Delays
The officials who faced the salary freeze are the Block Development Officer (BDO), the Assistant Development Officer (Panchayat), and the Block Education Officer (BEO) of both Bilhaur and Chaubepur. During the review meeting, DM Singh expressed severe dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on several critical infrastructure projects over the past four months. Key works that were found stalled included tiling in schools, installation of multiple handwashing units, provision of running water in toilets, and facilities for Children with Special Needs (CWSN).
The District Magistrate specifically instructed BEO Surjeet Singh to provide a written explanation for the absence of regular departmental reviews and poor supervision. Singh mandated that regular and effective monitoring of all projects under the basic education department must be conducted without fail.
Show-Cause Notices for Mid-Day Meal Lapses
The review extended beyond infrastructure to cover essential schemes like the mid-day meal program, where another serious lapse was uncovered. It emerged that in the Sadar Bazaar area, meals were not prepared for students on four consecutive days. Shockingly, BEO (Nagar) Shalini Gupta had taken no action regarding this critical failure.
Consequently, the DM ordered the issuance of a show-cause notice against Gupta and directed her to ensure the regular distribution of meals in all schools without further disruption. The accountability chain was pursued upward as well. The DM sought an explanation from District Coordinator Anurudha Singh for not submitting required information and directed the Basic Shiksha Adhikari to issue a show-cause notice to DC Mid-Day Meal Saurabh Pandey for failing to provide necessary data.
Strict Directives and Warnings Issued
To ensure transparency and on-ground verification, DM Jitendra Pratap Singh directed all BDOs, BEOs, and ADO (Panchayat) officials to submit photographic presentations of ongoing construction works in their blocks at the next meeting. He also sought an explanation from District Coordinator (Construction) Praveen Pandey for the failure to report on infrastructure progress in Bilhaur and Chaubepur, ordering that a warning letter be issued to him.
Furthermore, a show-cause notice was ordered for the District Coordinator (MIS) due to a lack of progress in generating Aadhaar cards for children, a crucial component for scheme administration. The DM reviewed multiple initiatives including Operation Kayakalp, the Nipun Bharat Mission, community participation, and the mid-day meal scheme. He warned all education department officers and employees of strict action against negligence at any level, emphasizing the need for quality work aligned with government intentions.
The Basic Education Officer has been explicitly tasked with conducting regular reviews and taking stringent action against any official found negligent in their duties. This crackdown by the district administration signals a zero-tolerance approach towards delays in improving basic educational facilities and implementing welfare schemes for school children in Kanpur.
