Whistle blower Govt official getting life threat in Bihar Jitendra Patna: A whistle blower, Child Development Project

Officer (CDPO) of Tilouthu block of Rohtas district is in the line of fire from corrupt bureaucrats. It has been happening when the state govt is claiming high of fighting corruption at all level. Neelima Sinha, CDPO of Tiloutha block has been suspended from last one and half years. The reasons behind her suspension were vindictive in nature and even ticked off by the High Court. In spite of that, she has been continuously facing bureaucratic humiliations from last two years, also, now getting threat calls from last week. During her tenure at Tiloutha since January, 2009, she found there were lots of irregularities in the recruitment of Anganwadi Staffs. Many of the Anganwadi centers like Lohradeeh, Pathra, Khushdeeh, Tati, Ramdeehra, Rakyadeeh etc. had double staffs than required. Her enquiry was hindered by district board house, a local elected body. She was debased as well as abused by Maharani Sunita Gandha, a Chairman of District Board on July 8, 2009. The immediate District Magistarte(DM), S. Sarvanan ordered lodging of an FIR in this regard. But his successor Anupam Kumar ordered repealing of the case citing blunder of a law. She found District Project Officer(DPO) Ramesh Kumar Ojha, SubDivisional Officer(SDO) Mobin Ali Ansari, Block Development Officer(BDO) Satnarayan Jha, CDPO Manju Kumari and Sandhya Kumari guilty of these irregularities and mentioned their names in her report submitted to DM Anupam Kumar on 19 Dec, 2009. Since then the report was buried under the heap of files. In return she gets suspension, life threat and false implications. She has been start getting, direct or indirect, but continuous persuasions to drop the names of guilty officials. She did not bend but decided to stand by her report.

In the mean time, Mr. Kumar ordered fresh probe by Mobin Ali Ansari, one of the accused, in submitted report by Ms Sinha. Mr Mobin prepared a report in which he put serious allegation on Ms. Sinha like extortion, creating unnecessary pressures on Govt officials and Anganwadi sevika for bribe and preparing false report against her senior officials. She was suspended without serving any show cause notice on May 21, 2010. Then she approached High Court for the justice. A bench of Justice Seema Ali Khan ordered a judicial enquiry on 27 May, 2010. According to enquiry report, DM defended his all three guilty officers and claimed there were no irregularities taken place. But he cleverly did not submit report regarding the details of the govt circulars issued regarding recruitments of Anganwadi staffs. However, he delayed the enquiry by his tacit, even though couldnt submit it after two notices served to him. The new bench of Justice Navin Sinha, was constituted for the hearing the case. The court felt the delaying tacit and serve the notice to Mr Kumar of contempt of court. Under the persistent pressure from court, Mr kumar suspended DPO Ramesh Kumar Ojha but let off all others. Although, he soon re-instated him, also. But a dismissal procedure has been initiated against Ms Sinha. They put charges like over absenteeism, preparing false report and creating pressure on their subordinates for bribes. She has been fighting for the justice with her tooth and nail. The documents related to her suspension are not being provided even after court order. 47 yrs-old Ms Sinha seems fed up with this struggle. No one came to her rescue. She never thought in her wildest dream of this kind of situation. She has been continuously getting threat call. Ms Sinha says: I had been earlier deprived off salary for one year in the name of enquiries and now, denied suspension allowance since suspension.

After repeating attempt, Mr Kumar ready to talk over phone to this correspondent. He plainly states that the matter is in the ambit of court. Whatever enquiry conducted against her was submitted to court says Mr Kumar. When asked Is it true that you have ordered to conduct enquiry by an accused official and also without issuing any official circular? Mr Kumar unanswered and hesitatingly said matter is in court. Ms Sinha, who is residing in Patna city, is not an exceptional case of harassment of a whistle blower when propaganda being spread that State is corruption free. On Dec. 8, an RTI activist was shot dead in broad day light in Lakhisarai district. It is few stories which do not come up over the carpet in the din of tall claim, both by Govt. as well as by media.