The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Tiruchi unit, has registered a case against nine School Education Department officials, including two former Chief Educational Officers (CEO) of Tiruchi district and a former Assistant Director Programme Coordinator (RMSA Scheme). They have been accused of committing criminal breach of trust and not adhering to the guidelines under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) government funds in the procurement of furniture and lab equipment for 23 government schools in the district. The alleged offence was committed between 2019 and 2021.
The case was booked on February 5 under IPC sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and under sections 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act based on a preliminary inquiry by the DVAC, Tiruchi unit.
All the accused were still in service. R. Arivazhagan and S. Shanthi, former CEOs; S. Muthusamy, former Assistant District Programme Coordinator, RMSA Scheme, Tiruchi; R. Rajendran, former Headmaster, Government Higher Secondary School, Kanakilliyanallur; S. Sargunanan, former Headmaster, Oonaiyur Government High School; L.K. Akila, headmaster, Government High School, Inam Mathur; T. Daisy Rani, Teaching Assistant, Government Adi Dravidar Welfare High School, Koppampatti, Thuraiyur; J. Jaisingh, former Headmaster, Government Higher Secondary School, Venbanur; and S. Kannan, Headmaster, Government Higher Secondary School, Alagagoundanpatti, have been named as the accused.
The furniture were procured without calling for limited tender as per the guidelines. They were procured from the private firm instead of TANSI and other government industries thereby violating the tender procedure and with the dishonest intention to swindle the scheme funds.
It was found during the preliminary inquiry that the suppliers were not approved by the department. The preliminary inquiry made out cognisable offences against the nine officials and the case was booked after obtaining prior approval from the department, said the sources.
