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RERA office being shifted to Dharamshala: HP govt in HC affidavit
The affidavit was submitted by principal secretary (housing) Devesh Kumar to the division bench of chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Ranjan Sharma during resumed hearing of a petition challenging a six-month extension granted to chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, filed by one Atul Sharma
The state government on Monday told the Himachal Pradesh high court through an affidavit that the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office was being shifted to Dharamshala to congest Shimla, and it needed time to complete the formalities.
The affidavit was submitted by principal secretary (housing) Devesh Kumar to the division bench of chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Ranjan Sharma during resumed hearing of a petition challenging a six-month extension granted to chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, filed by one Atul Sharma.
The court had questioned the government on the delay in appointments of the RERA chairperson and two members. The case will now be heard on June 20.
HC issues notice to CS Saxena
The high court issued notice to Saxena. The petitioner contended that the extension was given in violation of the Central Services Rules and guidelines of department of personnel and training (DoPT). The petitioner argued that vigilance clearance can’t be granted to an officer who is nominated in a corruption case.
The petition pointed out that a chargesheet had been filed before Saxena was granted the extension, Saxena was chargesheeted in the infamous INX Media scam, in which then Union finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti are also named as accused. Saxena served as the director of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) between April 2008 and July 2010.
Saxena was considered frontrunner for the RERA chairperson post, but the selection committee, headed by the high court chief justice, had raised objection to his candidature.
