Khargone: School principal sells old textbooks without permission, suspended

Khargone (Madhya Pradesh): Indore divisional commissioner Dr Pawan Kumar Sharma has suspended Government Higher Secondary School of Excellence, Barwah principal Sudhir Kumar Rathore in connection with the sale of textbooks. This action was taken on the basis of a report submitted by Khargone district collector Kumar Purushottam.

In August, a case of irregularity in the sale of books under the textbook scheme came to the fore. The inquiry was conducted by the district collector through the District Education Officer. 

The investigation revealed that principal Rathor formed a committee for the sale of unused furniture from the premises and managed to sell textbooks too. There was no direction to sell books of the year 2019 and earlier.  

The Directorate of Public Instruction had issued directives to remove the unused furniture from the premises by adopting the due process for writing off. Whereas textbooks were sold by the principal in Barwah. There were no instructions regarding the sale of the books. 

No permission was obtained by the principal from the District Education Officer. Books of the year 2019 and earlier were sold by him. There was negligence and apathy in the discharge of official duties by principal Rathore.

Indore commissioner Dr Pawan Sharma suspended him under Rule 9 of the MP Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966.