School operating under tin shed: UT director of school education shunted

The Administration replaced Arora with PCS (Provincial Civil Service) Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, who had recently joined the Chandigarh administration from Punjab on deputation, a notification released in this regard said.

On Saturday, UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had conducted a surprise visit to Hallomajra after learning that a government school in the area was operating from under a tin shed. Purohit, during his Saturday visit, had expressed his displeaure at the school being run from under a tin shed and had categorically stated that no school should ever function under such temporary arrangements. An action against Arora was expected ever since Purohit’s visit.

Arora will now hold charge as the agriculture census officer, nodal officer of state agriculture marketing board, and as joint secretary of agriculture, reliving HPS Brar of the said charges, the notification read.

According to records, Before Arora, the education department was under the charge of Rubinderjit Singh Brar, a PCS officer, for almost six years.

Officers managing same department for years

Meanwhile, sources said that PCS officer, Rakesh Popli, who had joined the Chandigarh administration on deputation in 2016 from Punjab as Director Hospitality, is trying for another extension in his tenure that is supposed to end in July this year.

In August 2016, the administration had appointed Popli as the then Excise and Taxation Commissioner.

He was later given additional charge as the Chief General Manager, CITCO. When new UT Adviser, Dharam Pal, was appointed, Popli’s department was changedto Secretary (Housing Board) and Director (Hospitality), a post he currently continues holding.