Hindi Prachar Sabha panel likely to be dismissed

KOCHI: Since a CBI investigation has been initiated into the high level corruption charges against the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (DBHPS), the central committee of the organisation based in Chennai is all set to dismiss its current management committee in Kerala. The decision will be confirmed in the central committee meeting to be held on December 4.  The central committee had earlier constituted a special investigation team comprising top officials in DBHPS to probe into the irregularities in its Kerala unit. “Many complaints were received about Kerala branch. There were complaints that the committee members had terminated many permanent employees and recruited others after demanding bribe. The organisation’s car had been misused for personnel purposes. Some of the committee members are involved in criminal cases and honorary memberships have been conferred on criminals and relatives of the board members,” the sources said. The central committee has also found irregularities in the election process and some of the members were elected to the executive committee after submitting fake addresses.The funds and grants given by the government were also diverted for personnel purposes. The staff in DBHPS are not given salary for the last four months. Many are deprived of PF and pension allowances.  “The special investigation team has submitted its report before the central committee. The team has found 19 cases of malpractice carried out by the office-bearers of the Kerala branch and recommended immediate action against them including dismissing the current committee” DBHPS sources said.Secretary of Kerala DBHPS, Vijayakumaran Nair said that central committee had called an important meeting on December 4. “If the management is dismissed, the activities of the Kerala branch will be overlooked by a special officer appointed by the central committee,” he said.