AGARTALA, January 13 (TIWN): Most controversial former Chief Secretary of Tripura and incumbent Secretary, Ministry of Textile Dr S K Panda’s three day visit to the state from Tuesday has appeared to be significant when Police is in the final stage of preparing charge sheet against prime accused of multi-crore rupees corruption case of Bishalgarh Bimal Chakraborty.Bimal is happened to be the close aide of Dr Panda and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. According to police sources, administration and even then rural development minister and finance minister could not take any action against Bimal and his corrupt team because of his kitchen relationship with Manik Sarkar and Dr Panda. In 2013, ahead of assembly election, the then secretary rural development department had first time found serious defalcation of MGNREGA fund in Bishalgarh and Melagarh rural development blocks during the tenure of Bimal as BDO. The file was moved to Chief Minister and through Chief Secretary with comments but it was stopped.

A few days after, Bimal was elevated as Assistant Director to ICA department and as desired by Sarkar and Panda; he was given the charge of publication and ex-officio director in ICA. In ICA department all the senior and experienced officers were humiliated by Bimal and he has been given direct access to CS and CM even for petty matters. Reportedly, Bimal confessed his misdeed in Bishalgarh and requested Panda to close the file had been forwarded by the rural development department against him on defalcation and Panda did it.

Despite knowing his corruption, S K Panda had chose Bimal for translation of his “Manik’s propaganda endeavour” popularly known as – an arithmetic mistake.

Besides, three other corrupt officers – Director Industries and commerce Pravin Agarwal, present District magistrate of Amravati (Maharashtra) Kiran Gitte and Sarat Das of disaster management wings were engaged by Panda to bring them closer to Manik Sarkar.

The investigation team was desperately looking for the interest of Panda to shelter these four officers including Bimal.

In the process, they came to know that Bimal has a strong CPI-M hold and his closeness to Manik Sarkar what Panda needs to use him for cover up of his misdeed and Dr Panda had achieved it.

“In fact, Dr Panda was solely responsible for approving all political nepotism in graduate and under graduate teachers’ appointment. He misguided the entire cabinet and education minister and always gives ill-advice to the government for the job. He worked under the instruction of CPI-M party directly in distribution of job setting aside all administrative norms and practices,” said a junior officer of state education department.

According to the officer, even sometime if the departmental officer raises the issue of his illegal process of teachers’ appointment he branded them as anti-left and that led to punishment of three junior officers in school education department.

Interestingly, when High Court cancelled the job criticizing the mal practice in the process of appointment, Manik Sarkar did not utter anything against Dr Panda. In the cabinet also the role of Panda and his intentional misguiding to the minister was raised but Manik Sarkar favored him unconditionally.

Both Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Banamali Sinha was main culprit behind the illegal appointment and put the future of 10,323 teachers in stake as well as made the government embarrassed. Banamali Sinha was punished and he was immediately shifted to Raj Bhawan and finally golden handshake from the government periphery.

However, Dr Panda managed to escape for it because of his proximity with Manik Sarkar and corrupt lobby of CPI-M. Now he is also making Tripura CPI-M foolish by his traditional canning tactics that Panda is close of BJP ministers and party.

He is also distributing some photographs with Union Textile Minister and Prime Minister Modi himself among the administration and party to show off his closeness with central government. He is already made and Manik and his team fool by his age old tactics.

But he himself doesn’t know Central Vigilance Commission is investigating against him for his administrative corruption following instruction of PMO.

Sarat Das, another corrupt officer brought by Panda from Orissa and engaged him in Disaster Management department. Through Sarat allegedly, Panda had earned a huge amount of money and used him for his personal work and writings.

Depriving educated youths of Tripura, S K Panda brought more than 50 people from Orissa in different department. SSS Mishra of urban development, Pratihari in State Forensic Lab, Dr Mishra in Govt Law College, another Mishra in NIT Agartala, three teachers in Tripura University influencing Manik and six assistants in different department.

Now after Bimal’s arrest, Panda and his all corrupt gang are afraid of future. Meantime, when Panda got to know that Police investigation has also found substantial evidence of his racket in administration he is visiting Tripura with public fund to manage the investigation.

He is scheduled to have exclusive meeting with Manik Sarkar in the Secretariat and top leaders of CPI-M in Agartala.

His beneficiary officials in the secretariats are found worried after getting information of Panda’s arrival and trying to keep him from press glare and interaction.         

S.K.Panda shooting . TIWN