Darrang: Magisterial enquiry against school over embezzlement of govt funds

Mangaldai, May 30: In a new twist to the public complaints about the alleged misappropriation of government funds regarding the supply of school uniforms for the students of Jangalpara High School under Dalgaon Education Block in Darrang district, a fresh magisterial inquiry has been conducted by the district administration.

In response to a public petition submitted to the District Commissioner (DC), Darrang, in February, Assistant Commissioner Ihsanul Hussain has been directed to carry out the inquiry.

Subsequently, inquiry magistrate Hussain visited the school on Wednesday afternoon to meet the in-charge headmaster, Abdul Aziz, and inquired about the facts and figures of the allegations. He wanted to verify the relevant registers, which were reportedly not available in the school office.

Later, the magistrate collected the registers from the residence of the in-charge school head and took them away with him.

On being asked over the telephone, Magistrate Hussain informed that he had collected all the necessary documents for references. He further stated that within a couple of days he would submit his inquiry report to the additional district commissioner in charge of the education department.

Earlier, based on a similar complaint, an inquiry was conducted by the additional commissioner in charge of the education department, and she herself, along with the programme officer (TT) of SSA, Darrang, had reportedly visited the school. However, the outcome of the inquiry remained unknown to the stakeholders. It has been alleged that the in-charge headmaster, in connivance with the president of the dissolved SMDC, Mahibul Hussain, who is a teacher at Deomornoi Degree College, siphoned off government funds released against the supply of school uniforms to secondary and upper primary students in the financial years 2021–22 and 2022–23.

In addition to the serious irregularities in uniform supplies, major anomalies in mid-day meals have also been raised against the school authorities by different investigative agencies, including the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption.