Ranchi, Dec. 21: Chief minister Raghubar Das has decided to take administrative action against senior IAS officer B.K. Tripathi for having allowed the return of around Rs 7 crore, received as late fees, to various book publishers during 2012-13.

The chief minister's decision follows a report of a three-member probe committee headed by development commissioner R.S. Poddar and comprising principal secretaries of the state planning and finance department Amit Khare and personnel department Ratan Kumar.

"The committee in its inquiry report submitted to the government has prima facie found financial and procedural lapses. That is the reason the chief minister has directed administrative action be taken against the IAS officer," said an official close to Das.

According to sources in the state school education and literacy department, Tripathi allegedly okayed refund of over Rs 7 crore to book publishers between financial years 2007-08 and 2012-13.

This amount had been collected by the state from around eight publishers as penalty for their delay in supplying and distributing textbooks to lakhs of students of primary and middle schools across the state.

It is not yet understood why senior bureaucrat Tripathi magnanimously chose to waive the Rs 7-crore fine.

At the time, the sources added, Tripathi was principal secretary in the state HRD department and was also project director of Jharkhand Education project Council (JEPC), the main agency implementing Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Jharkhand. It is the JEPC that invites bids every year from publishers for printing, supplying and distributing text books to students of Class I to VIII in government primary and middle schools.

But, on what possible "administrative action" the chief minister can take against a senior IAS officer, a senior official in the personnel department said a lot would depend on Tripathi's stand.

"He (Tripathi) will be asked to clarify his stand on the matter. Based on what he says the state government would reach a decision on the kind of action to be taken against him. Then the file will be sent to UPSC for getting concurrence as he is an IAS officer," said the official requesting anonymity.

Tripathi, who is now on central deputation as member secretary of NCR Planning Board (under Union ministry of urban development) in Delhi said he would comment only after seeing the order. "I have been on central deputation since March. I do not know what orders the Jharkhand government has passed," he told The Telegraph over phone from Delhi.

Tripathi, a 1983 batch IAS officer, has served as principal secretary in the administration of former chief minister Shibu Soren in 2007-08 and has headed several state departments. He was elevated to chief secretary rank last year, joining the ranks of, among others, Rajiv Gauba, Sajal Chakraborty, Sudhir Prasad, N.N Pandey and Vishnu Kumar.