To probe ‘corruption’, new secy and joint secy of Hardayal Library meet employees

New Delhi: Hardayal Municipal Public Library’s newly-elected Secretary and Joint Secretary met with the library employees on Tuesday to probe alleged ‘corruption’ in the library.

Preeti and Usha Sharma were elected unanimously and as Secretary and Joint Secretary, respectively, on Monday.

The employees were called to the Civic Centre and questioned on the workings of the library, which revealed that the last Secretary Poonam Parashar Jha had refused to give up her position. She had also denied turning over the Library car and keys as instructed by the new Managing Committee.

Jha, in response to the allegations, told Millennium Post “I have not received any official notice of my dismissal and the appointment of a new Managing Committee. Further, the elections held on Monday to constitute the Committee were done unconstitutionally as a meeting can only be

called by the current Secretary. As such, why should I recognise their order?”

Preeti also demanded clarifications on the alleged mismanagement of funds which have resulted in a lack of maintenance and upkeep of the library.

As of September, the library has been functioning without electricity with a pending bill of Rs 4.5 lakh. Further, a lack of running water and other facilities have affected the members who are forced to walk to the metro station for drinking water and washroom.

The accountant was also questioned on the distribution of the funds received from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and has been asked to submit a report of all expenditures.

The library itself is owed almost Rs 11 crore in grants, since the amount remains unpaid for the financial years of 2022-2023, and 2023-2024, along with some dues from the previous financial year.

In a proposal passed during the August House Session, the Mayor had promised to provide a solution through the formation of the Managing Committee, which was constituted on Monday during a meeting called by Mayor Shelly Oberoi, who is the ex-officio chairperson of the Library.

Preeti and Usha Sharma were elected unanimously and as Secretary and Joint Secretary, respectively, on Monday as part of the six-member Committee while the other members include Ward 74 Councillor, Punardeep Singh Sahani, Ward 77 Councillor, Kiran Bala, Ward 79 Councillor, Mohammad Sadiq and Ward 227 Councillor Shagufta Chaudhury.