Meerut SDM Arrests Education Officer for Absenteeism, Sets Precedent

• Udit Narayan Sengar, SDM Meerut, ordered the arrest of Block Education Officer Shyam Mohan Asthana for unauthorized absence.
• Asthana, also an Additional Election Registration Officer, was absent without approved leave, disrupting voter list revision work.
• The officer was held for 3 hours, medically examined, and later released; he cited illness and unapproved leave application.
• SDM Sengar, known for strict discipline, stated that negligence in government work will not be tolerated.
• An inquiry and departmental action have been initiated against Asthana, and his duties reassigned to Naib Tehsildar Bhupendra Kumar.

Why It Matters: Meerut SDM Udit Narayan Sengar's strict action against an absent officer highlights zero tolerance for negligence.