Latest news with #DepartmentofPersonnelandAdministrativeReforms
The Hindu
a day ago
- 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.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Arrangements in place for Civil Services preliminary exam to be conducted on Sunday
With the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) choosing Puducherry as one of the centres for the Indian Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025, the administration has put in place arrangements for conducting the examination across seven centres on Sunday. A press note from the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms said a total of 2,254 candidates have chosen Puducherry as the exam centre. Special buses from the main bus stand will ply from 8 a.m. to the venues, with return services from 5 p.m., for the convenience of candidates. The examination is scheduled from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. at the following centres: Annai Sivagami Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Mudaliarpet, Thiruvalluvar Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Laporte Street, Bharathidasan Government Girls College, Muthialpet, Women's Engineering College, Lawspet, Vallalar Government Girls' Higher Secondary School, Lawspet, Kanchi Mamunivar Postgraduate Studies and Research Centre, Lawspet and Vivekananda Higher Secondary School (Lakshmi Hall and Saraswathi Mahal), Sellaperumalpet (for the differently abled), the press note said.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CPI urge CM Rangasamy to rectify 'grave social injustice' in recruitment process of Assistant posts in UT
PUDUCHERRY: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged Chief Minister N Rangasamy to immediately intervene and rectify what it termed a 'grave social injustice' in the recruitment process for Assistant posts in the Union Territory. In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, CPI State Secretary A M Saleem alleged that the rights of Backward Classes (BCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Scheduled Castes (SCs) had been violated due to an irregular allocation of quota to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Saleem pointed out that recruitment rules notified on April 20, 2012 mandate that only 20% of Assistant posts are to be filled through direct recruitment. However, the EWS reservation system was introduced only in January 2019, making it inapplicable to vacancies notified prior to that date. Despite this, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms allegedly allocated 25 posts to the EWS category—17 more than what CPI claims is legally permissible. The party further argued that in the absence of a caste census in Puducherry, EWS candidates account for just 2% of the population, rendering the 10% quota unjustified. CPI called for immediate corrective action to uphold constitutional reservation norms.
