Retired headmaster draws double pension for 15 years; CoA orders inquiry, ETEducation
Berhampur: A retired headmaster of a primary school in Gajapati district has been drawing double pension and other retirement benefits for 15 years since his retirement on Sept 30, 2010 owing to a procedural lapse. The matter came to light recently, following which Odisha Controller of Accounts (CoA) asked the block development officer (BDO) and block education officer (BEO), Mohana, to conduct an inquiry.
Radhakrishna Acharya, retired headmaster of Project Upper Primary School, Betarasingh, has allegedly been drawing two pensions simultaneously from two different treasuries — the special treasury in Berhampur (Ganjam) and the sub-treasury at R. Udayagiri (Gajapati) — since Oct 1, 2010.
The CoA also found that Acharya received gratuity twice, amounting to Rs 2,36,735 and Rs 2,40,735 on different dates. The BDO and BEO have been directed to submit a factual report within 15 days.
According to the CoA’s letter, Acharya was sanctioned a pension of Rs 7,295 per month based on the initial pension proposal submitted by the then district inspector of schools (DIS), Paralakemundi, and countersigned by the BDO, Mohana, on Feb 14, 2011.
However, on April 12, 2011, the DIS, Paralakhemundi, again submitted a second pension proposal for Acharya with the BDO’s countersignature. Because pension authorisations at the time were issued manually and not system-based, the office was compelled to issue a second authorisation — resulting in parallel pension payments.
Govt sources said there is no clarity on whether either or both the DIS and BDO were different in Feb 2011 when the pension was first sanctioned and in April 2011, when it was sanctioned again. “That is part of the probe,” Mayadhar Sahu, district education officer (DEO), Gajapati, said.
Terming it a major procedural lapse, the CoA said the case reflects serious administrative negligence by the officials responsible for verifying and forwarding the pension proposals.
Sahu said the retired teacher may have knowingly drawn double pension for years to obtain unauthorised benefits. BEO, Mohana, Narendra Behera said, “We have already initiated an inquiry and will submit a report soon.”
Acharya was not available for comment.
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