L-G orders suspension of six MCD officials

Saxena also gives nod to a CBI probe against Delhi govt. official

July 27, 2022 01:00 am | Updated 01:00 am IST - New Delhi:

An assistant engineer and a junior engineer were held responsible for failing “to prevent unauthorised constructions” in the city’s Alipur area, where on July 15 a wall collapsed leaving five persons dead and several injured. 

An assistant engineer and a junior engineer were held responsible for failing “to prevent unauthorised constructions” in the city’s Alipur area, where on July 15 a wall collapsed leaving five persons dead and several injured.  | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena has ordered the suspension of six officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on charges of “gross negligence, abusing official position and receiving illegal gratification,” sources at the Raj Niwas said on Tuesday.

Among these six officials, who were suspended by the MCD Commissioner, an assistant engineer and a junior engineer were held responsible for failing “to prevent unauthorised constructions” in the city’s Alipur area, where on July 15 a wall collapse left five persons dead and several injured.

A superintendent engineer, who was held responsible for financial irregularities in the Bhalswa landfill site, and a deputy controller of accounts, who was hauled up for not following up with banks in matters related to clearance of pension cases, were also suspended.

An administrative officer and a zone inspector (South) were also suspended for delaying the processing of papers for mutation of properties in the south zone.

The sources added that Mr. Saxena also gave a sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute a sub-registrar at the Delhi government’s Revenue Department, for “illegally” regularising at least 50 unauthorised constructions, both residential and commercial, in the Karol Bagh zone between July 21, 2015 and September 26, 2018.

According to the Raj Niwas sources, at least two senior officials — the District Magistrate (Central) and Principal Secretary (Revenue) — had in separate reports recommended prosecution sanction to the CBI to investigate the wrongdoings of Mr. Pal.

“The complaints of corruption against officials of Delhi government, DDA [Delhi Development Authority] and MCD alike are being decided singularly on merit. While the L-G has taken strict action in many such complaints, he has also rejected some of the complaints upon finding no substantial ground for prosecution in the cases,” the sources said.

Last month, the DDA suspended two of its Assistant Engineers on the directions of Mr. Saxena, for delivering “substandard work” at the urban body’s in-situ slum rehabilitation project at A-14 Kalkaji.

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