I am a govt officer, not any NGO’s servant: Champawat ADM

An additional district magistrate (ADM) in Champawat, has tendered his resignation, alleging undue demands made by a Delhi-based NGO to organise a seminar in the district.

On Saturday, in his resignation letter to the district magistrate, ADM Hemant Verma said as the officiating official in the absence of district magistrate Iqbal Ahmad, he was allegedly asked for”undue” favours and facilities by the members of the NGO to organize a seminar.

Verma, in his letter alleged that volunteers of NGO were treating him like a “domestic help” and ordered him to supply alcohol and cigarettes.

“I am government officer, not the foundation’s servant,” said Verma, who has been in government service for more the 23 years.

It is very painful and insulting for me to take orders from members of an NGO and I could not bear the treatment so I resigned,” he told HT.

Verma in his latter also said that whenever he refused comply the demands, the members of the NGO complaint to the higher officials who in return directed him to “oblige” to the organisation’s demands.

A top official of the NGO, however, denied the allegations, questioning why Verma did not inform them about the “undue” demands made the members of the organsation.

“The official (Verma) should have informed me if there were some undue demands being made by the members of our NGO,” said Keshav Gupta, founder of DAIS Foundation.

The DAIS Foundation has organsied a two-day seminar on sustainable development in association with the state Niti Aayog that began on Saturday.

District magistrate Ahmad said for him his officials were more important than an NGO.

“It seems there was some communication gap and I would have called off the event had Verma informed me about this earlier,” he said, adding that Verma has gone on leave