Patna: A clerk working in Bihar’s Education Department has been suspended after serious allegations of bribery surfaced. The action was taken following complaints that the clerk demanded a 10% commission to process a teacher’s long-pending salary payment. The incident has caused concern among education staff and raised fresh questions about corruption in the department.
According to the official letter from the Regional Deputy Director of Education (RDDE) in Tirhut Division, the suspended clerk, Ravish Pathak, was working in the District Education Office. A teacher named Kundan Tiwari from Devi Mangal Singh Plus Two High School, Bagaha, lodged a complaint stating that his approved salary bill had been kept pending for 13 months. Tiwari claimed he was asked to pay a commission to get the payment processed.
An internal inquiry was conducted after the complaint was flagged by the department’s control and command centre. Ravish Pathak was asked to explain why the bill was not forwarded for payment despite being cleared, but his explanation was found unsatisfactory. The District Education Officer then recommended disciplinary action.
In another case, the Director of Secondary Education also ordered a probe into complaints regarding delays in processing retirement benefits for Rajendra Mishra, a former assistant teacher at DM Academy, Bagaha. In both matters, officials demanded identification and punishment of those responsible. Ravish Pathak has now been suspended and will remain posted at the District Education Office in Motihari during the suspension period. He will receive a subsistence allowance as per rules.
