Pannu transferred as tech education secy under ‘pressure of engg colleges’
CHANDIGARH : The Captain Amarinder Singh government has “succumbed” to the alleged pressure by engineering college owners and has transferred IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu as secretary of technical education within less than 100 days he was given the charge.
According to the June 22 order of the government, Pannu will now be chairman, Punjab State Pollution Control Board, and secretary, revenue.
Pannu, who was posted as secretary, technical education on April 3, was also holding the charge of vice-chancellor of Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU), Kapurthala, since April 23 and became a “target” of “all-powerful” private colleges coming under the jurisdiction of this university due to various reasons.
OFFICER HAD DETECTED IRREGULARITIES IN ENGG COLLEGES
The IAS officer, in a short term of less than 60 days as the V-C, ordered inspection of all technical colleges under the university that detected “glaring irregularities” in these colleges.
This also brought Pannu under attack from college owners for allegedly harming their business interests as notices were issued to more than 40 colleges for lapses. The officer also introduced strict rules to conduct examinations in the university where a scam was reported in the re-evaluation of answer sheets.
“It was a record for the PTU that results for the 7th and 8th semesters of Bachelor in Technology (B Tech) were out on June 20 even as the examinations lasted till the last week of May. The strictness during the exams resulted in a a sharp decline of pass percentage of certain colleges,” said sources.
Pannu had also ordered a probe into the reports of “irregularities” in the university during the past more than ten years, especially charges of appointments of teachers having the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Former IAS officer SS Dhillon was appointed to probe these cases and this seemed to have spelt trouble for former vice-chancellor Dr Rajnish Arora.
TARGET OF COLLEGE MANAGEMENTS FOR MORE THAN ONE MONTH
The college managements had been after Pannu for the past more than one month, it is learnt.
According to sources, managements of more than 15 engineering colleges met a ”powerful” official in the chief minister’s office in the second week of June and expressed their resentment.
CHANNI DID NOT OBLIGE COLLEGE OWNERS
The college owners even met technical education minister Charanjit Singh Channi during the Vidhan Sabha session, but, sources said, the minister refused to oblige them and asserted that he would continue with Pannu. “We all were working enthusiastically with an impression that this government was serious to curtail education mafia. But, sorry to say, nothing has changed,” said an officer close to the minister.
‘UPSET’ MINISTER TO SEEK REVIEW
Channi is also reportedly “upset” over Pannu’s transfer. The minister said, “I am meeting the CM and will appeal to him to cancel Pannu’s transfer. The officer, in a short tenure, has done a few good changes in the university.” Still no name to replace Pannu has been announced.
THE IAS OFFICER WAS TARGET OF SUCH COLLEGES FOR HIS STRICT APPROACH, CHANNI TO TAKE UP MATTER WITH CM