An investigation of the National Vigilance Centre (NVC) has concluded that the immediate District Education Officer of Bara, Dhana Prasad Pokharel, misused his authority for financial gains while making appointments and transferring the employees.

Pokharel had even ignored the instruction of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action against a school resource person who was found guilty of committing financial irregularities.

Instead, Pokharel, who is now working as the under secretary at Baglung Municipality, had rewarded the person, according to the NVC report.

After complaints were registered at the NVC, a team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajendra Kumar Pokharel, was formed to investigate into the case.

The NVC had received three complaints against Pokharel.

The first complaint was that Pokharel and School Inspector Ashok Rauniyar had appointed Sandesh Jaiswal from Gedahi Guthi, Bara, to the post of sub-engineer in contract without following duo legal procedure.

According to the investigation report, Sharma as the DEO had appointed Jaiswal for four months through direct negotiation. Based on the contract, he was supposed to receive Rs149,800 in salary and benefit during the period.

Rule 95 (1) of the Public Procurement Regulation bars public entity to purchase any service if the cost is over Rs100,000. In such case, a competitive process should be followed by issuing notice in newspapers.

The NVC report has declared Jaiswal’s appointment by Pokharel as illegal.

After Jaiswal’s contract ended on July 15, 2017, he did not get contract extension. Investigation, however, has found out that Pokharel had paid Jaiswal the his salary and allowance for two extra months. He had even received festival bonuses in that period. In another case, Pokharel had retained the service of School Resource Person Promod Kumar Yadav, who had been convicted by the CIAA of embezzling the government’s grant provided to a school at Shankharapur, Kuhuwa-1, in collusion with chairman of School Management Committee and principal.

Despite the Department of Education handing Yadav the letter instructing him to withdraw his position, Pokharel continued to retain him as School Resources Person until mid-July 2017.

Although Yadav did not register his attendance, he continued to receive his salary and allowance for that period, the report said, pointing out at Pokharel for making such arrangement by abusing his authority.

Pokharel has defended his move by saying that he had to retain Yadav because there was no other school resource person.

The third complaint against Pokharel is that he and School Inspector Ashok Kumar Rauniyar transferred teachers from one district to another by receiving graft.

The clause 16 of the Education Act bars transferring teachers who have acquired permanent status than a year ago or are set to retire in less than a year.

The NVC has said that Pokharel transferred a number of teachers, who had become permanent less than a year ago, from one district to another. NVC Spokesperson Bishnu Raj Lamichhane said that the report has been sent to the CIAA for further investigation.