Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Confusion persists over investigation, official's transfer

Special Correspondent

Shifting not linked to case: Corporation

COIMBATORE : The more the Corporation tries to explain, the more confusing is the case of employment training scam and the transfer of an investigation officer.

After the civic body's initial reaction that it had not been aware of a transfer, it is now made clear that the Assistant City Health Officer, P. Sivanesan, has been transferred to Tirunelveli.

Dr. Sivanesan conducted the probe into the alleged provision of fictitious names of candidates to undergo vocational training in computer programming under the Swarna Jayanthi Swarozgar Yojana.

The City Health Officer, N. Raghupathy, a junior assistant of the Corporation and the owner of a computer training centre at Ramanathapuram in the city were named as accused in a complaint lodged with the police.

A flurry of events

The Corporation seemed to have been overtaken by a flurry of events since the case was made public late last month. First, there were reports of the ACHO's transfer.

Second, it was attributed to political pressure. The Corporation expressed ignorance over any transfer order early this week but said on Wednesday that the official had been transferred.

Now, Corporation sources indicated that questions persisted over how much was the civic body aware of the transfer and did it ever think of having it revoked.

The sources said the transfer process had begun on December 14 itself and not after the probe report had been submitted.

They, however, were unable to explain whether any effort had been made at all to have the transfer process stopped and enable the investigation to continue under the same officer.

The City Health Officer and the ACHO came under the Director of Public Health.

And, there was no clear indication as to whether the Corporation represented the case to the Director to revoke the transfer order. Another question asked was whether the CHO alone was to be held responsible as the nodal officer of the programme.

The sources claimed that the process of identifying the training institute had been initiated before Dr. Raghupathy took over as the nodal officer.

Besides the training scam, there was another case pertaining to excess purchase of mosquito repellent, its under utilisation and claims of optimum use.

A staff member had been placed under suspension in this case by the Corporation Commissioner, Anil Meshram.

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