A deputy secretary currently attached to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office and two sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) were suspended by Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday on charges of “corruption and non-probity” in their functioning.
Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Prakash Chandra Thakur, posted as a deputy secretary in CMO, Vasant Vihar SDM Harshit Jain and Vivek Vihar SDM Devender Sharma, said sources said.
Previous complaints
According to the sources, the directions were issued on the basis of complaints alleging financial and procedural lapses by the officials on which action was pending. The complaint against the Mr. Thakur, a source added, pertained to his previous posting in the Revenue Department and was not related to his present position in the CMO.
A Delhi government source said transfers and postings of officials fell under the L-G’s domain and the former did not have a say in them — whether these pertained to the Revenue Department or the CMO — at all.
Sources said the officials were placed under suspension before the completion of inquiries into the allegations against them in line with Mr. Saxena’s “commitment to zero tolerance to corruption and ensuring probity in the functioning of the government”.
Reacting to the development, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said “suspension on corruption charges of a Deputy Secretary in the CMO had exposed the hollowness of claims of honest administration” made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“CM claims zero tolerance on corruption but today a black sheep has been found in his own office, clearly indicating there is no monitoring against corruption in the CM office and the Delhi Secretariat,” Mr. Kapoor said.
The L-G had, on Monday, suspended two assistant engineers of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) after finding lapses in the construction of flats meant for the rehabilitation of EWS citizens in Kalkaji Extension.
