Child advocates yesterday called for an investigation into whether the
state Department of Human Resources' oversight of a group home company was
compromised by the relationship between an agency official and the company.
DHR is looking into whether the official, Elisha B. Pulivarti, is a director of Evershine Residential Services Inc., despite a state regulation barring agency employees from serving on boards of companies it licenses.
The advocates said the department probe, or an independent investigation,
should go further.
"If someone can have influence over the frequency or nature of the inspections, that defeats the purpose of a licensing agency," said Edward T. Kilcullen Jr., state coordinator for Maryland Court Appointed Special Advocates Association, which assigns volunteers to represent foster children in the Juvenile Court system. He was one of three child advocates who, along with a government watchdog, urged an investigation after reports that two Evershine officials said Pulivarti is a member of the company's board.
Pulivarti, who denies serving on Evershine's board, is the executive director of the Governor's Office on Asian-Pacific American Affairs, a $60,000-a-year job. The office is part of DHR, which licenses 10 Evershine homes housing 26 boys. The department pays Evershine $104,115 a year per child.
Pulivarti, 55, of Beltsville is friendly with the company's chief executive and has done work for him, but insists he merely advised Evershine as it reconstituted its board, and was not a member, a DHR spokesman said. Pulivarti did not return calls.
The spokesman, Norris West, said the agency was continuing to look into whether Pulivarti is a director of Evershine, but not whether the licensing and monitoring of the Owings Mills company were affected by any relationship the official had with the company.
"I don't think that until [Wednesday] anyone in licensing knew who Elisha Pulivarti was," West said.
State Sen. Ulysses Currie, who has scheduled hearings on the regulation of group homes, said yesterday that he would ask Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. to join lawmakers in a general review of the regulatory system.
Currie, chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, said he telephoned Curran yesterday but they had not yet spoken.
Sambhu N. Banik, a Bowie resident who serves on the Maryland Commission on Human Relations, said Pulivarti attended a gathering Banik organized for Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele last year and participated in a recent celebration kicking off Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.
Banik praised Pulivarti's work raising Asian-American awareness. "He represents the governor well. He is very active in advocating the goals and the message of the governor," Banik said.
Pulivarti is active in Prince George's County political circles and is a part-time inspector for that county's liquor board.
His official biography says he is director of public relations for a charity of the same name as one founded by Joseph Skariah, Evershine's chief executive.
An Evershine board member and the company's assistant executive director say Pulivarti is a director and participated in the board's decision Sunday to place Skariah on leave pending an examination of the firm's business practices.
An investigation by The Sun this year of the regulation of the state-funded group homes documented that Skariah expensed Caribbean cruises, luxury SUVs and meals while making $135,275 a year. Skariah has acknowledged using $24,000 in group home funds in 2002 to settle a sexual harassment complaint. He also employed his wife, who made $74,813. And together they received another $32,400 renting two houses to Evershine.
DHR officials have said they did not know about the spending. They could not produce an inspection report on Evershine by a former director who was responsible for inspecting the company in 2003 and 2004.
DHR is looking into whether the official, Elisha B. Pulivarti, is a director of Evershine Residential Services Inc., despite a state regulation barring agency employees from serving on boards of companies it licenses.
"If someone can have influence over the frequency or nature of the inspections, that defeats the purpose of a licensing agency," said Edward T. Kilcullen Jr., state coordinator for Maryland Court Appointed Special Advocates Association, which assigns volunteers to represent foster children in the Juvenile Court system. He was one of three child advocates who, along with a government watchdog, urged an investigation after reports that two Evershine officials said Pulivarti is a member of the company's board.
Pulivarti, who denies serving on Evershine's board, is the executive director of the Governor's Office on Asian-Pacific American Affairs, a $60,000-a-year job. The office is part of DHR, which licenses 10 Evershine homes housing 26 boys. The department pays Evershine $104,115 a year per child.
Pulivarti, 55, of Beltsville is friendly with the company's chief executive and has done work for him, but insists he merely advised Evershine as it reconstituted its board, and was not a member, a DHR spokesman said. Pulivarti did not return calls.
The spokesman, Norris West, said the agency was continuing to look into whether Pulivarti is a director of Evershine, but not whether the licensing and monitoring of the Owings Mills company were affected by any relationship the official had with the company.
"I don't think that until [Wednesday] anyone in licensing knew who Elisha Pulivarti was," West said.
State Sen. Ulysses Currie, who has scheduled hearings on the regulation of group homes, said yesterday that he would ask Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. to join lawmakers in a general review of the regulatory system.
Currie, chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, said he telephoned Curran yesterday but they had not yet spoken.
Sambhu N. Banik, a Bowie resident who serves on the Maryland Commission on Human Relations, said Pulivarti attended a gathering Banik organized for Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele last year and participated in a recent celebration kicking off Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.
Banik praised Pulivarti's work raising Asian-American awareness. "He represents the governor well. He is very active in advocating the goals and the message of the governor," Banik said.
Pulivarti is active in Prince George's County political circles and is a part-time inspector for that county's liquor board.
His official biography says he is director of public relations for a charity of the same name as one founded by Joseph Skariah, Evershine's chief executive.
An Evershine board member and the company's assistant executive director say Pulivarti is a director and participated in the board's decision Sunday to place Skariah on leave pending an examination of the firm's business practices.
An investigation by The Sun this year of the regulation of the state-funded group homes documented that Skariah expensed Caribbean cruises, luxury SUVs and meals while making $135,275 a year. Skariah has acknowledged using $24,000 in group home funds in 2002 to settle a sexual harassment complaint. He also employed his wife, who made $74,813. And together they received another $32,400 renting two houses to Evershine.
DHR officials have said they did not know about the spending. They could not produce an inspection report on Evershine by a former director who was responsible for inspecting the company in 2003 and 2004.
