PDKV suspends five in recruitment scam

NAGPUR: Akola-based Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) has suspended five officials for their role in irregularities in the recruitment of 131 senior and junior research assistants in 2005 under vice-chancellor Sharad Nimbalkar. University suspended these officials on the directives of the chancellor K. Sankaranarayanan based on report of Justice S W Dhabe inquiry committee.
V M Bhale, PDKV registrar confirmed the development to TOI on Friday. The five officials include the then secretary respectively of the recruitment selection committee Vandan Mohod, associate dean of college of agriculture, Nagpur, andformer registrar. Other officials are E R Patil, associate dean of college of agriculture at Akola and former dean PGI institute Akola, N D Jogdande, senior horticulturist for the all India coordinated research project on tropical fruits at Akola (then head horticulture), Sudhir Suradkar, deputy registrar, general administration, and Dinkar Deshmukh, assistant section officer. The then chairman of selection committee V D Patil, who is also former dean agriculture and former assistant director general of ICAR, has retired but will face prosecution.
Based on the inquiry committee report, the chancellor is learnt to have directed the university to begin formal procedure for prosecution of Patil and Mohod for tampering the records while heading the selection committee. Sources say the university will soon be registering a FIR against the two.
Dhabe committee has found nine members of the selection committee guilty. Since the others have already retired from the job, they will face different action like holding back pension benefits. The other three selection committee members are B N Dahatonde, former professor of agronomy, G L Dake, the then head of plant pathology department of Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri and B N Pawar, then agriculture economy professor of Maharashtra Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani.
The inquiry committee to look into the recruitment scam was constituted by the chancellor on the directives of the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court following public interest litigation in 2006. Dhabe committee started the inquiry in June-July 2007 and submitted the report to the chancellor in December last year.
Though the inquiry was on against all tainted officials some of them-- Mohod, Suradkar, E R Patil and V D Patil-were allowed to continue on other selection panels. TOI had reported the recruitment scam and roster scam earlier. But the university did not take any action until the order came from the chancellor.