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Graft charges against Himachal CM’s office staff: Sukhu asks cops to verify veracity of allegations
A letter alleging corruption against an official in the Himachal Pradesh CM’s office has gone viral in the past few days with the Opposition BJP demanding an inquiry into this
With the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s voice getting shriller demanding investigation of graft charges against some chief minister office officials, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has asked the Shimla police to verify the veracity of the facts.
A letter alleging corruption against an official in the CM’s office has gone viral in the past few days with the Opposition BJP demanding an inquiry into this. An anonymous person wrote in the letter that he wanted to draw attention towards widespread corruption in the power department by two IAS officers who are appointed at important posts.
Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Friday said for the past few days, officials posted in the CM’s office in Shimla were courting controversies. “An anonymous letter had gone viral on social media in which serious allegations of corruption had been made against officials working in the CM’s office. We are looking into the veracity of the anonymous letter.”
In the letter, it is alleged that two officers were getting ₹25 crore from a hydropower project company in Kinnaur through Hawala. Work on the power project promoted by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPSCL) started in 2012 and has been delayed due to various reasons.
The letter alleges that the two IAS officers cleverly got these two important posts in the government first and indulged in corruption in the power project.
For over a month, the officials of the power project company were repeatedly called to the CM’s office and pressurised. It alleged that the officers, using their influence, got upright fellow women officers transferred from the post of the special secretary, energy department. One of the women officers had also submitted a complaint of sexual harassment against one of the two officers, which is pending in the CM’s office, the letter claims.
It was further alleged that the two IAS officers also lobbied for the extension of services of the MD of the Himachal Pradesh electricity board and took ₹10 crore for the same. One of the officers got ₹2 crore in the deal and bought a luxury apartment in Panchkula. However, the extension was not granted.
The person in the letter has requested the Prime Minister to order a probe into the alleged corruption by a Central agency so that the public knows the truth.
Chief secretary Prabodh Saxena denied having received any letter. “So far, I have not received anything official but have heard that something is circulating on social media.”
Meanwhile, principal advisor (media) to CM Naresh Chauhan said such letters in which the writer doesn’t identify himself have no authenticity. “Such letters had gone viral in the past also during the previous BJP government’s regime too,” he said.
