Chief minister seeks more time to decide PWD minister's fate

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has sought more time from central leadership to decide on the fate of Delhi public works department minister Rajkumar Chauhan.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has sought more time from central leadership to decide on the fate of Delhi public works department minister Rajkumar Chauhan.

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In a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, sources said, Dikshit explained how Delhi chief secretary PK Tripathi was preparing a reply to a letter received from the union home ministry on the Chauhan issue.

In his orders on February 24, Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sareen held the minister guilty of "misconduct" of "grave nature" and recommended to the President of India to "withdraw her pleasure" for the minister to continue in office, as he "misused" his official position.

The union home ministry had also written to the Delhi government asking it to prepare a detailed report on Chauhan's alleged attempt to influence a team of sales tax officials investigating a tax evasion case against a south Delhi based resort in February last year.

Dikhist had met Sonia Gandhi in March and had reportedly briefed her on Chauhan case.

This was the first time that the Lokayukta had recommended the removal of a Delhi minister.