Divisional commissioner KP Ramaiah in Patna on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Divisional commissioner K.P. Ramaiah on Friday accepted that recommendation by fellow officers matter a lot for getting work done. He also admitted that merit counts the most but a recommendation doubles the chance of getting work done.

This happened when a sect ion officer of the home (special) department turned up at Ramaiah’s janata darbar with the recommendation of an IAS officer posted in the Union home ministry to seek his son’s admission in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bailey Road.

The man requested Ramaiah to give one out of four seats from the divisional commissioner’s quota using his discretionary power. Along with the application, he had also stapled a recommendation on a small piece of paper mentioning the name of the IAS officer.

As soon as Ramaiah saw the paper, he separated it from the application and returned it the visitor. Then, the applicant told The Telegraph: “Sir, I want to admit my son in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bailey Road, and you can easily do this by using your discretionary power. I am not financially sound to continue his studies in a private school. So I would request you to kindly get him admitted to Class XI in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bailey Road.”

Ramaiah asked: “Have the CBSE Class X results been declared ? I don’t think so. Let the results come out. Then, I will see what I can do in this matter.” To this, the visitor again pleaded: “Sir, it is my humble request to get him admitted in the desired school. I would be obliged.” Ramaiah politely asked him to leave.

Sources said this was not the first time that such a recommendation came to the commissioner’s office for admission in Kendriya Vidyalaya. Recommendations from former Union ministers, MPs and MLAs have come earlier too.

Asked about accepting the IAS officer’s recommendation, Ramaiah said: “There is nothing wrong in accepting recommendations. Senior officers do recommend their subordinates and other people. However, merit comes first but recommendations are also important. As far as this case is concerned, if the boy deserves, then I will help him get admitted.”

He added: “If I don’t do the work of the recommended person, the relation won’t turn bitter. On many occasions, even I give recommendations for many people.” Recommendation is always by choice, not by force. It should not be related with favouritism, both are different words.”

Meanwhile, Ramaiah sent letters to district magistrates of Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur on Friday to find out why a large number of students were being absent from classes in primary and middle schools.