To,                                                                                           Date – 25^th May 2015                         Shri Manohar Parikar                                                                                                                       Defence Minister                                                                                                                               Room No -104 South Block,                                                                                                           Ministry of Defence                                                                                                                           New Delhi-110011

SUBJECT: IRREGULARITIES IN APPOINTMENT OF MS. SHWETA SINGH, JRF and SRF AT DEFENCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (DRL), TEZPUR BY DR. VIJAY VEER, DIRECTOR, DRL, TEZPUR, DRDO, MIN. OF DEFENCE

Sir,

Within last 10 years a bunch of DRDO officials running DRDO with their own made rules whether it is related of procurements or recruitments like the following case of recruitment of Ms Sweta Singh as JRF/SRF in DRL, DRDO, Tezpur by  Dr. Vijay Veer, Director is a small example of manipulations in GOI laid down rules.

1. Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Tezpur (Assam) is an establishment under Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence.
2. Vijay Veer, Scientist ‘G’ is Director, DRL, Tezpur with effect from 01 March 2012. Prior to him Dr. Lokendra Singh was Director of this establishment since the year 2010 to 28 Feb 2012.
3. A.K. Singh is Director (Personnel), Dte. Of Personnel (DOP) at DRDO HQ, DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi with effect from 01 Dec 2012 and prior to this he was posted as Director, DHRD at DRDO HQ from Oct 2010 to 27 Feb 2013.
4. A.K. Singh, Director (Personnel) hails from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh which is evident from his IPR available at DRDO website. Copy of IPR is attached as Annexure No. -1.
5. Shri Virendra Pal Singh (V.P. Singh) who is an official of Arunachal Pradesh, Government also hails from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
6. Lokendra Singh, Dr. Vijay Veer and Dr. RKR Singh, TO ‘C’, Estate Officer and Shri V.P. Singh are good friend and know each other very well as Shri V.P. Singh regularly staying at DRL, Guest House, Tezpur since past several years while he is not an DRDO/Service employee and no office/project of Arunachal Pradesh Government is existing at DRL, Tezpur. The rent of VIP suits at DRL, Guest house is only Rs. 50 -100 while the same accommodation at Hotel in Tezpur is about Rs. 2000-2500. The reasons why Dr. Lokendra Singh, Ex-Director, DRL and Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL giving such kind of privilege to Shri V.P. Singh is matter of investigation?
7. Even the Arunachal Pradesh Government Vehicle with Registration No. AR 01E 0879 is regularly parked at House of Dr. RKR Singh, TO ‘C’, Estate Officer, DRL, Tezpur. The same Government vehicle was also found in New DRL Guest House. The Photograph of Vehicle No. AR 01E 0879 of Arunachal Pradesh Government parked at New DRL Guest House is attached as Annexure No. -2.
8. A.K. Singh, Director(Personnel) , DRDO HQ is holding sensitive posts continuously since past 8 years as Director, CEPTAM, Director, DHRD and Director(Personnel), which is against CVC Guidelines. I have filed three complaints against him to PMO & MOD on charges of Corruption. He was holding the post of Director, DHRD from October 2010 – 27 February 2013. DHRD is responsible for recruitment of JRF, SRF and Research Associates in various DRDO establishments and formulates guidelines for their appointments etc.

This complaint is regarding irregular appointment of Ms. Shweta Singh D/o Shri V.P. Singh, Aligarh as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) followed by  Senior Research Fellow (SRF) with two years extension by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur and extra payment of stipend while she was absent from DRL, Tezpur for about one year.

Brief Facts of the Case

3. Shweta Singh, d/o Shri V.P. Singh was appointed as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) at DRL, Tezpur for a period of two year with effect from 03.10.2011 to 02.10.2013. She joined at DRL, Tezpur on 03.10.2011 and posted at Pharmaceutical Technology Division.
4. Shweta Singh was getting stipend of Rs. 16000/- month from DRL, Tezpur. She remains absent/highly irregular at DRL, Tezpur during January 2013 to December 2013. Meantime she got married on 28 November 2013 at Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh). She joined back at DRL, Tezpur on 13 January 2014.
5. In reply to one letter from Admin Division of DRL, Tezpur, Dr. P. Chattopadhyay, Group Head, Pharmaceutical Technology Division informed to Director, DRL, Tezpur vide his letter dated 07-10-2013 on Subject “Absent of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF, Pharmaceutical Technology Division absent from 8^th July 2013” stating thereby That “I am inform you that Ms Shweta Singh, JRF, Pharmaceutical Technology Division absent from 8^th July 2013”. Copy of the letter dated 07.10.2013 is annexed as Annexure No. -3.
6. On direction of Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF got full stipend of the period while she was absent from DRL, Tezpur. Some complaint and RTI were filed by some persons in the matter therefore under pressure of PCDA, Dr. Vijay Veer ordered to Admin & Finance division to recover one month stipend from her. Rs. 17600/- was recovered vide letter 51/13/AE dated 28/10/2013. Copy of the letter No. 51/13/AE dated 28/10/2013 is annexed as Annexure No. -4. The same amount was deposited by Ms. Shweta Singh vide Chq. No. 508551 dated 8/5/2014. Copy of the letter dated 08/05/2014 sent from Mrs. Shweta Singh, SRF to Director, DRL regarding “Return of Excess Payment”, is annexed as Annexure No. -5.
7. I submitted an application under RTI Act 2005 dated 26 July 2014 in the matter of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF to CPIO, DRDO HQ, New Delhi but till date CPIO, DRDO did not replied. Copy of the application under RTI Act 2005 dated 26 July 2014 is attached as Annexure No. -6.
8. Detailed attendance sheet of Ms. Shweta Singh from Biometric Punching Attendance System of said period may establish her long absence from DRL, Tezpur. But extra payment for only one month and three days of stipend was recovered from her by DRL, Tezpur on direction of Dr. Vijay Veer. Due to expose of the matter, DRL stopped her stipend with effect from 03 October 2013. Till date she did not get any stipend from DRL, Tezpur.
9. As per the DO-II No. 07 dated 20.04.2012, her tenure for JRF was automatically ended on 02.10.2013. She was absent in month of October 2013 but Dr. Vijay Veer gave another big favor to her. He constituted an Assessment Committee consisting of three senior officers namely Dr. H.K. Gogoi, Scientist ‘F’, Shri Indrajeet Baruah, Scientist ‘F’ and Dr. P. Chattopadhyay, Scientist ‘D’  vide DO-II No. 07 dated 25.04.2014 to gave extension of one year to Fellowship of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF with retrospective effect from 03.10.2013 while she was not present during said period in DRL, Tezpur and appointed her as SRF. Copy of the DO-II dated 25.04.2014 is annexed as Annexure No. -7. It was mentioned in said DO-II dated 25.04.2014 that “Extension of tenure of fellowship of the above named individual with effect from 3^rd October 2013 for one year as per recommendation of the Assessment Committee held on 24^th March 2014 at DRL, Tezpur”.
10. As per DHRD, DRDO guidelines  extension for one year can only be provided to a JRF candidate after his/her presentation before Assessment Committee constituted by Director well before the expiry of tenure of 02 years of the JRF.
11. It is big manipulation and conspiracy that Ms. Shweta Singh never appeared before the Assessment Committee and she got extension of one year with retrospective effect by Assessment Committee vide DO-II No. 07 dated 25.04.2014. The said Assessment Committee was constituted by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur in the March 2014, which held the meeting on 24 March 2014.
12. The recommendation of the Assessment Committee was approved by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director and Ms. Shweta Singh got extension for fellowship as SRF for one year from 03.10.2013 to 02.10.2014 vide DO-II No. 07 dated 25.04.2014.
13. Surprisingly, while tenure of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF was automatically ended on 02 October 2013 vide DO-II NO. 07 dated 20.04.2012, then why Dr. Vijay Veer allowed her to work in DRL, Tezpur till April 2014 and gave ex-post-facto sanction without any authority?
14. Shweta Singh got married on 12 November 2013 and She was absent during the period from 03 October to 12 January 2014, then why DRL, Tezpur allowed her to join at DRL, Tezpur while her tenure was ended automatically on 02.10.2013?
15. Extension for fellowship with retrospective effect is completely illegal as (i) Tenure of JRF remains only for two years, it cannot be extended in case of Ms. Shweta Singh as her term expired on 02 October 2013. (ii) With back date appointments/extensions to fellowship are not permissible under any rule of DRDO and GOI.

Hence extension to fellowship wef 03 October 2013 for one year by order dated 25.04.2014 is totally illegal and irregular. It should be cancelled.

1. She was getting stipend of Rs. 16000/- per month as JRF and Rs. 18000/- per month as SRF.
2. Under pressure of complaint to PCDA and RTI Application to CPIO, DRDO, DRL, Tezpur stopped the payment of her stipend with effect from 03 October 2014 up to till date. But to favor Ms. Shweta Singh, Dr. Vijay Veer ordered Finance Division to make bill for payment of stipend to Ms. Shweta Singh and accordingly a bill of approximately Rs. 2,12,439/- was made and sent to PCDA, New Delhi in February 2015 vide DRL letter No. 30/PAS/JRF/SRF/2014-2015 dated 02.02.2015. Copy of the bill sent to PCDA, New Delhi is annexed as Annexure No. -8.
3. PCDA returned the said bill with following objections: (i) To submit attendance sheet of the Ms. Shweta Singh, (ii) Authority letter by which she was appointed as SRF by Director, DRL, Tezpur vide their letter dated 16.03.2015. Copy of the letter received to DRL, Tezpur dated 16.03.2015 from Accounts Officer, PCDA, Delhi is annexed as Annexure No. -9.
4. Despite the above incidences, Dr. Vijay Veer again constituted Assessment Committee in November 2014 comprising of HK Gogoi, Scientist ‘F’, Dr. P. Chattopadhyay, Scientist ‘D’ , Dr. SN Dutta, Scientist ‘C’ and Shri S. Doley, TO ‘D’. This committee has a meeting on 24.11.2014 and recommended the 6 months extension to Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF for the fourth year. The minutes of the meeting was approved by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur on the same day 24.11.2014. Copy of the Minutes of Assessment Committee is annexed as Annexure No. -10.
5. DRL, Tezpur has not submitted any reply to objections of PCDA till date and she did not get any payment since January 2014 to till date from DRL, Tezpur.
6. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur is running this JRF-SRF business since his joining at DRL, Tezpur and normally per year 10-12 candidates being appointed by irregular means. Recently in the year 2014 and 2015 more than 25 vacancies were advertised. This year Interview going to held on 19 May 2015. Copy of the advertisement for the year 2014 and 2015 for recruitment of JRF, SRF and RA are annexed as Annexure No. -11 and Annexure No. -12.

Irregularities and Corruption by Dr. Vijay Veer in appointment of Shweta Singh, JRF

1. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur unduly favored Ms. Shweta Singh and gave her an illegal extension in fellowship with intent to get pecuniary advantage to her by misusing his official position.
2. Not only to her, Dr. Vijay Veer is giving high privileges to his father Shri V.P. Singh by allowing him to stay at DRL, Guest House since long time.
3. This act of Dr. Vijay Veer amounts conspiracy against Government with ill motives to make a loss to public money and gave financial benefit to Ms. Shweta Singh by misusing his powers and official position by gross violation of DRDO Guidelines.
4. Vijay Veer is attempted to make a payment of about Rs. 2,12,439/- in lump sum to Ms. Shweta Singh despite knowing her extension to fellowship was illegal.
5. The said misconduct and misuse of power for giving pecuniary advantage to Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur comes under section 13.(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

In light of above evidences it is  requested to you Sir,  issue appropriate direction to Secretary, DRD, South Block, New Delhi to:

• Cancel the appointment order of Ms. Shweta Singh as JRF and SRF at DRL Tezpur and stop her payment till finalization of the complaint.
• Not to award Ph.D. degree to Ms. Shweta Singh as her appointment as SRF is illegal and she was absent during her tenure as JRF in 2013.
• Issue order to recover extra payment from Ms. Shweta Singh which DRL, Tezpur paid to her while she was on long absent from DRL, Tezpur for more than one year.
• Setup an enquiry against Dr. Vijay Veer under CCS (CCA) Rules 1965 and Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 to give undue favour to Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF, DRL, Tezpur.
• Cancel the recruitment process of JRF and SRF in DRL, Tezpur for the year 2015.

Regards

Prabhu  Dandriyal,
21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun -248008                                                                               Phone 0135- 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,                                                                                  e-mail id prabhudoon@gmail.com  website www.corruptionindrdo.com

Enclosed – Annexure No. 1 to 12.

 

Annexure-7

DO Part Order No – II No. 7 Dated 25/04/2014

(b) – MRS. SHWETA SINGH- JRF

Ref: – This Lab DO Part Order No – II No. 7 Dated 25/04/2012. Extension of tenure of the fellowship of the above named individual with effect from 3^rd October 2013 for one year, as per recommendation of Assessment Committee held on 24^th March, 2014 at DRL, Tezpur (Assam)