Latest news with #DepartmentofPersonnelandAdministrativeReforms
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- The Hindu
Tiger deaths at M.M. Hills: DCF and two officers suspended
Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has recommended the suspension of three officers for dereliction of duty and negligence in the case of the unnatural death of five tigers — a mother and her cubs — in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka on June 26. The three officers are Deputy Conservator of Forests Chakrapani Y., Assistant Conservator of Forests Gajanana Hegde of M.M. Hills Wildlife Division, and Range Forest Officer-cum-Surveyor Madesh. On June 30, the three officers were sent on compulsory leave until further notice. The Minister, who received and reviewed the preliminary report of the high-level inquiry committee headed by Additional Chief Principal Conservator of Forests Kumar Pushkar, made this recommendation to suspend the trio to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms. A Forest Department order, which had asked the three officers to go on leave, had said that non-payment of salary and allowances to the frontline outsourced staff had hampered the patrolling in the area where the death of the five tigers occurred. According to a statement from Mr. Khadre, though money was released by April-end to pay the salary and allowances to the frontline outsourced staff, not paying them till June is a dereliction of duty on the part of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, which has caused setbacks in the patrol work. The outsourced staff had protested on June 23 over not being paid since March. 'It is apparent that the frontline staff was evading duty due to non-payment of salary on time,' Mr. Khadre said. According to the preliminary investigation report, the cause of death of the 11-year-old tiger and her four cubs, aged 10 to 11 months, was due to a chemical compound sprayed on the carcass of a cow that was attacked and killed by a tiger. 'It is observed that for an area of 147.99 sq. km, we have only seven posts of beat forester filled against the sanctioned strength of 21, and only one forest watcher post is filled against the sanctioned strength of seven. There is a serious shortage of frontline staff to carry out protection duties effectively. Based on the above facts, the frontline staff cannot be blamed for negligence or failure in their duty, leading to the death of five tigers. However, a detailed analysis of M-STRIPES and patrol data will give a clearer picture of the regularity of patrolling,' the preliminary report stated. Forest officials have arrested three persons who were allegedly directly involved in the case. Mr. Khandre said the officers have completely failed to monitor and have shown negligence in their basic duty of forest protection. Apart from suspending the three officers, he also instructed the authorities to conduct a departmental inquiry. Mr. Khandre has also directed that the final report of the committee be submitted by July 10.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
AIADMK demands cancellation of recruitment to the post of assistants
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has demanded cancellation of the test conducted for the recruitment of Assistants in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms as there have been reports of discrepancies in people selected under EWS quota in the four regions of the Union Territory. Addressing a press conference here, party secretary A. Anbalagan said as per the results declared on Tuesday, 256 candidates were selected for the Assistant post through examination. As per EWS norms, around 25 persons were eligible to be selected out of the total recruited candidates under the quota in the Union Territory. However, results showed that 23 persons got selected under EWS quota from Yanam region alone. Of the total selected under EWS quota, only two are from the other three regions of Puducherry, Mahe and Karaikal, he said. 'There are complaints that people from Puducherry and Karaikal were not able to obtain proof of EWS certificates from Revenue department. It is a gross injustice to the people of three regions when people from Yanam region alone were able to get selected using the reservation policy. Only a particular caste from Yanam benefited from the quota. The government should cancel the results and conduct a re-test immediately,' he said.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- The Hindu
Sub-Registrar faces suspension following graft charges in Puducherry
The Registration Department continues to be in the dock with one more senior officer facing disciplinary action on charges of grave misconduct in Puducherry. Special Secretary (Revenue) cum District Collector A. Kulothungan has issued an order on June 20 suspending R. Sriganth, Assistant on deputation as Sub-Registrar (Rural) in the Registration Department, with immediate effect. The order stated that since disciplinary proceeding was contemplated against Mr. Sriganth, the officer has been placed under suspension. Mr. Kulothungan has issued the suspension order on the basis of powers conferred under sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. As per the order, the suspended officer has to remain stationed in Puducherry and was not allowed to leave the region without prior permission of the District Collector. According to sources, the disciplinary action was contemplated after a video of Mr. Sriganth allegedly taking bribe inside the Registration Department Office at Saram surfaced recently. In the video, he was seen taking money and telling a person that he would give clearance to some application on a particular date. An aggrieved person had also filed a complaint against the officer with the Lieutenant Governor. Mr. Sriganth, who joined as an Assistant in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, has been working as Sub-Registrar in the Registration Department for a long time. In fact, he was transferred early June itself after the Lt. Governor issued a direction not to post Assistants on deputation in the Registration Department, a source said. 'He was transferred on June 1 and the particular video that surfaced on social media platforms showing the officer taking bribe was taken a few weeks ago. But even after his transfer to the parent department, he was visiting the Registration Department,' a source in the department said. Vigilance Probe Immediately after the suspension order was issued, the department has referred the case to the Vigilance unit for a detailed probe. 'We have launched a preliminary inquiry and based on the outcome, we will take up the case to its next level,' said a police officer. In the recent months, several officers, including those at the level of Director, Sub-Registrar and Tahsildar have been arrested on various charges, including corruption and forgery. Criminal action was taken against some of these officers for even forging temple lands.
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Aadhaar now must for dialysis scheme benefits in Karnataka
BENGALURU: The state government has issued a notification mandating Aadhaar authentication for availing benefits under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP), implemented through the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust. This is to ensure better service delivery, transparency, and to ensure entitlements are distributed efficiently. According to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), both Priority Household (PHH) and non-PHH ration card holders must either furnish proof of Aadhaar or undergo Aadhaar authentication to avail the benefits. However, the government clarified that no individual, adult or child will be denied treatment for lack of Aadhaar. In such cases, other identity documents will be accepted, and a register will be maintained to track these for audit and review purposes. Aadhaar enrolment facilities will be set up at block or taluk levels where centres are currently unavailable. In cases where biometric authentication fails, due to poor fingerprint quality or other issues, the department has recommended alternatives such as iris or face scans, OTP-based authentication, or physical Aadhaar letters validated through QR code scanners.
Hans India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Police Had Flagged Security Risks Hours Before Fatal RCB Stadium Stampede
Internal police correspondence reveals that law enforcement authorities had raised serious safety concerns just hours before the tragic crowd crush at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during a Royal Challengers Bengaluru celebration event on June 4, 2025. The deadly incident, which claimed 11 lives and left approximately 56 people injured, occurred despite advance warnings from police leadership about potential crowd control problems and inadequate security arrangements. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Legislature Security) M.N. Karibasavana Gowda had sent an official communication on the morning of June 4 to senior government officials, including G. Sathyavathi, Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms. The letter outlined multiple security vulnerabilities that could compromise public safety during the high-profile cricket team felicitation ceremony. The police official expressed grave concerns about managing the anticipated massive turnout, writing that "with lakhs of cricket fans expected to gather at Vidhana Soudha and a shortage of security personnel, managing the crowd will be a major challenge." He emphasized that RCB's nationwide popularity would likely draw enormous crowds to the venue. Gowda's correspondence highlighted critical staffing deficiencies within the Vidhana Soudha Security Division, warning that the existing personnel would be insufficient to handle the expected crowd size safely. The letter specifically noted that hosting such a major event at the government complex would present unprecedented crowd management challenges. To mitigate risks, the police official had recommended several precautionary measures. These included temporarily suspending all public entry passes for June 4, both online and offline, to limit attendance. He also suggested preventing government employees from bringing family members to the Secretariat and implementing an afternoon holiday to reduce foot traffic around the venue. The communication also raised concerns about surveillance capabilities at Vidhana Soudha, describing the heritage building as a vital installation lacking proper monitoring infrastructure. Despite previous requests for comprehensive CCTV coverage, the surveillance system remained incomplete, hampering authorities' ability to effectively monitor the large gathering. Additional safety concerns mentioned in the letter included the need for structural and electrical inspections of the event stage by the Public Works Department. Gowda insisted on conducting anti-sabotage checks at least two hours before the event and emphasized the importance of having a functional anti-drone system operational. The police official stressed the urgent need to deploy additional personnel from outside Bengaluru, noting that coordination between various law enforcement divisions would be challenging given the short preparation time. Despite these concerns, he assured that his department would comply with the government's final decision while maintaining that strict security protocols were essential for protecting both the venue and attendees. The revelation of this advance warning has raised questions about whether adequate action was taken to address the identified security gaps before the event proceeded as planned.
