Cracking the whip, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in Uttarakhand on Tuesday suspended two IAS officers besides eight others in connection with an alleged Rs 54-crore land scam in Haridwar.
Those suspended officials include Haridwar District Magistrate Karmendra Singh, the then Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary and Sub Divisional Magistrate Ajayveer Singh, according to officials.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the Vigilance Department to conduct a detailed investigation into the case, besides ordering the cancellation of the tainted land deal.
The chief minister has also directed that a special audit be conducted of all the works done in the Municipal Corporation Haridwar during the tenure of Chaudhary as municipal commissioner so that the financial irregularities can be properly investigated.
“Corruption will not be tolerated at any level,” the CM said.
The suspension orders were issued by the Department of Personnel on the instructions of Chief Minister Dhami.
“Ten officers found guilty in the investigation have been suspended with immediate effect, while the service extension of two personnel has been terminated,” an official statement said.
Senior finance officer Nikita Bisht, senior personal assistant Vikki, registrar kanungo Rajesh Kumar and chief administrative officer Kamaldas have also been suspended, official sources said.
The action follows a preliminary investigation conducted into the case by IAS Ranveer Chauhan, who submitted his report to the state government last week.
The report recommended appropriate action against the officials for their alleged involvement in the scam related to the violation of norms for the purchase of nearly 2.3070 hectares of land next to a garbage dump at Gram Sarai by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation for Rs 54 crore.
The land use of the said plot was changed from agricultural to commercial which led its price to jump from Rs 15 crore to Rs 54 crore.
The stern action against senior officials illustrates the Dhami government’s policy of zero tolerance against corruption, officials said.
The chief minister has directed that a special audit be conducted of all the works done in the Municipal Corporation Haridwar during the tenure of the then Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary so that the financial irregularities can be properly investigated.
Dhami said the state government is firmly working on the policy of “zero tolerance” towards corruption.
“Corruption will not be tolerated at any level,” he said.
“Our government has made it clear from the very first day that being in public service does not mean holding a ‘post’ but doing “duty” towards the society.
“Accountability is important. No matter how senior a person is, if he disregards public interest and rules, action is certain. We want to develop a new corruption-free work culture in Uttarakhand. All public servants will have to live up to its standards,” Dhami said in a statement soon after the action was taken.
The officials against whom action has been taken so far in connection with the scam also include Sub-District Magistrate, Haridwar (Suspended) Nikita Bisht – Senior Finance Officer, Haridwar Municipal Corporation (Suspended) Vicky – Senior Personal Assistant (Suspended) Rajesh Kumar – Registrar Kanungo, Tehsil Haridwar (Suspended) Kamaldas – Chief Administrative Officer, Tehsil Haridwar (Suspended) Those against whom action has been taken earlier are : Ravindra Kumar Dayal – In-charge Assistant Municipal Commissioner (Service Terminated) Anand Singh Mishravan – In-charge Executive Engineer (Suspended) Laxmi Kant Bhatt – Tax and Revenue Superintendent (Suspended) Dinesh Chandra Kandpal – Junior Engineer (Suspended) Vedpal – Property Clerk (Service Extension Terminated). (PTI)
