V.K. Pandian was provided with ‘Z’ category security. Government officials and the administrative machinery were also used for Pandian’s ‘Unofficial’ programmes.
Government should investigate the matter and take appropriate action: Prakash Das
On 10 May 2024, Shri V.K. Pandian travelled by helicopter to Jharsuguda and Sundargarh districts. In the official documents obtained by me under the Right to Information Act, it is clearly mentioned that “The programme is unofficial.”
The same documents further mention that since Shri Pandian was under ‘Z’ category security, the concerned authorities were informed that the necessary security arrangements and other arrangements were required to be made in accordance with the Model Code of Conduct for Elections.
The documents reveal that the District Collectors, SPs, DEOs, Security Branch and Intelligence Department of Jharsuguda and Sundargarh, along with various other government officials, were instructed through official correspondence to make necessary arrangements.
The fundamental question here is: If the programme was not an official government programme, i.e. it was ‘Unofficial’, then on what legal and administrative basis was the government administrative machinery deployed for the programme?
Providing security to a person having ‘Z’ category security is a separate matter. However, it needs to be clarified to what extent the deployment of government officials, district administration and government resources at an unofficial programme was permissible under the applicable rules, merely on the ground that security arrangements were required.
In particular, it is necessary to make public the details relating to the helicopter landing and take-off permissions and coordination, airport/helipad coordinates, deployment of the district administration and police, security arrangements, traffic and crowd management, pandal, tent, lighting, sound and other arrangements, food and hospitality arrangements, use of government vehicles, personnel and other government resources, the amount of expenditure incurred, the department/office that bore the expenditure, the head of account from which the funds were released, and the legal and administrative approval for such expenditure.
If all these expenses were borne privately, the bills, vouchers, payment records and other financial documents should be made public. If government funds were used, the regular approval and legality of such expenditure must be clarified.
Another important question is: Under what authority were the District Collector and other administrative officials instructed to make arrangements for an ‘Unofficial’ programme? The original order/instruction, approval file, note sheets and subsequent compliance reports relating to such directions should be brought into the public domain.
[It is pertinent to mention here that much earlier, we had disclosed information regarding V.K. Pandian’s security at a press conference—how the then Naveen Government had provided a large number of security personnel to Pandian, constructed barricades in front of his residence, and how lakhs of rupees were reportedly being spent every month from the Odisha Government treasury for his security. Subsequently, several developments took place... Today, we are revealing information relating to V.K. Pandian’s ‘Z’ category security. How Pandian travelled across Odisha by helicopter under the ‘Z’ security cover and conducted high-profile programmes involving expenditure of crores of rupees. The people of Odisha should see and judge for themselves how the government and administration were functioning at that time.]
The question now is whether government resources and the administrative machinery were used in accordance with the rules. If the government documents themselves describe the programme as ‘Unofficial’, then the complete legal and administrative basis for using the government machinery at that programme must be brought before the public.
Therefore, I demand from the State Government:
1. All government files and documents relating to the Jharsuguda and Sundargarh visit of 10.05.2024 should be reviewed.
2. An investigation should be conducted into the basis on which government officials and the administrative machinery were deployed for an unofficial programme.
3. If any government resources or public funds, other than security arrangements, were used, the complete details and accounts thereof should be made public.
4. If any government funds were spent on pandals, tents, lighting, sound systems, food, transportation or other arrangements, details of the departments and officials responsible should be disclosed.
5. If there was any violation of the Model Code of Conduct for Elections or applicable government rules, appropriate action should be taken against the persons/officials responsible in accordance with law.
6. An impartial inquiry should be conducted to determine whether there was any misuse of the government administrative machinery in the entire matter.
In a democracy, irrespective of whether a person holds a government position or not, transparency, accountability and compliance with rules must be ensured in the use of government resources and public funds.
Therefore, I demand that the State Government conduct an impartial investigation into the entire matter on the basis of the documents, make public all records relating to the expenditure and decisions taken, and, if any irregularity is established, take stringent action against the persons/officials responsible in accordance with law.
-Prakash Das
Social Activist
M- 9937008937
