Obscene dance at govt school costs Rozgar Sahayak his job in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: An employment assistant in a government department has been terminated after a controversial incident involving an obscene dance performance at a government school playground in Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district went viral on social media. The chief executive officer of Sonhat Janpad Panchayat terminated the services of the employment assistant following the incident, which took place on Friday night at Pori gram panchayat in the district. The incident occurred on Friday night during the closing ceremony of a football tournament held on the school premises. Videos of the event showed professional dancers performing to film songs, with local officials allegedly participating in an inappropriate manner. The Janpad CEO issued the termination order for the rozgar sahayak (employment assistant), Jinder Sonwani, on Saturday. The action followed reports in the local media and the circulation of video footage showing the official showering currency notes during the performance. The official order stated that the conduct of Sonwani was in violation of Rule 3 of the Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965. The administration noted that such behaviour by a public servant is contrary to established norms and has tarnished the image of the government. A show-cause notice was initially issued to Sonwani. Authorities found his subsequent explanation unsatisfactory. Consequently, he has been removed from his post with immediate effect under the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Contract Appointment) Rules, 2012, and the 1965 Conduct Rules. The incident has sparked local outrage, as residents questioned the use of educational institutions for such events. This follows similar reports of controversial cultural programmes in Gariaband and Surajpur districts.