E-Paper
IAS officers meet CM: Bhagwant Mann asks CS to check if vigilance took prior sanction
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday directed chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to check whether the prior sanction was taken by the Vigilance Bureau from the state government before booking IAS officer Neelima and other officials for allowing the bifurcation of an industrial plot and submit his report within 24 hours.
Chandigarh Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday directed chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to check whether the prior sanction was taken by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) from the state government before booking IAS officer Neelima and other officials for allowing the bifurcation of an industrial plot and submit his report within 24 hours.
Mann gave the direction to the chief secretary after more than 50 IAS officers along with office bearers of the Punjab IAS Officers Association met him at his office in the civil secretariat to register their protest against the registration of the FIR against Neelima, a 2008 batch IAS officer, and others without following due procedure. The IAS told the CM that the mandatory prior approval was not taken by the VB from the competent authority under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Meanwhile, the Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officers, who went on mass casual leave from Monday onwards against the arrest of a colleague, also met the CM separately but refused to call off their protest unless the state government meets all their demands.
The chief minister, while asking Janjua to ascertain the facts, said that if the requisite permission was not taken, then immediate consequential action warranted under the law may be ensured. The chief secretary has been asked to call for the relevant office record of the vigilance bureau wherein the decision to register the FIR was taken or approved and submit an action taken report by Tuesday. He has also been asked to issue suitable directions to VB not to violate the provisions, as mandated under the law, in the future. “A well-defined Standard Operation Procedure may also be issued forthwith,” read the chief minister’s note.
The VB had registered the FIR against former minister Sunder Sham Arora, Neelima, and 10 other government officials on Thursday under Sections 13(1) (a), 13(1) (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the IPC at the VB police station in Mohali. The IAS officers sought immediate withdrawal of the case against Neelima and action against the vigilance officers who ignored the procedural requirements. They also raised the issue of the “inhuman manner” of the arrest of SP Singh, an official named in the case, at his father’s cremation.
Before their meeting with the chief minister, the IAS officers also met the chief secretary. The meeting held in a surcharged atmosphere saw Neelima husband, who is also an IAS officer, threaten to quit the service if the present situation continued. “Some other officers also offered to follow suit, saying that if things have come to such a pass, they too will put in their papers,” said an officer on the condition of anonymity. At least two women officers also got emotional and started sobbing during the meeting. A few IAS officers also told the CS about the uncertain work conditions in the state.
PCS officers harden their stance
The PCS Officers Association members also met Mann separately to press their demands for the release of Ludhiana Regional Transport Authority (RTA) official Narinder Singh Dhaliwal from custody, registration of FIR against the vigilance officials who “framed” PCS officer Tarsem Chand and a concrete standard operating procedure for matters of inquiries and registration of cases. They were not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and decided to remain on “mass leave”. Association president Rajat Oberoi said that 235 PCS officers across the state had gone on mass casual leave on Monday. Dhaliwal was arrested on Friday by the VB for allegedly taking bribes from transporters for sparing them from challans.
