No enquiry officer appointed to investigate: Lokayukta to ULB

For over a year, the Lokayukta has been hearing the complaint of a city-based activist, demanding from the ULB to make public the details of the offence committed by the six executive engineers and the findings of the inquiry.

Haryana Lokayukta has expressed its dissatisfaction on the decision of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department for reinstating six executive engineers of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) in July 2016, barely two weeks after they were suspended by the state government for their alleged misconduct in the allotment of a work order to contractor without following necessary procedures.

Lokayukta has expressed its dissatisfaction on the decision of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department for reinstating six executive engineers of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) in July 2016, barely two weeks after they were suspended by the state government. (HT FILE)

The Lokayukta, in a hearing on July 30, had expressed its complete dissatisfaction with the ULB report.

“Even no inquiry officer appointed to enquire into the matter in view of the allegations levelled in the complaint hence the director-general, ULB concerned is desired to submit the enquiry report within 45 days[sic],” stated the Lokayukta order, adjourning the matter till November 11, 2019.

For over a year, the Lokayukta has been hearing the complaint of a city-based activist, demanding from the ULB to make public the details of the offence committed by the six executive engineers and the findings of the inquiry.

Aseem Takyar, the complainant, said, “After I came across the suspension of six MCG executive engineers on July 10, 2016, and reinstating them by end of the same month, I filed many RTIs for details. Media report stated that they were reinstated after an inquiry by the senior officials. After failing to get any details from the MCG, I decided to file a case with the Lokayukta. The engineers in question allotted work worth Rs. 23.10 crore, without following required procedures. The fact that they were reinstated within two weeks seems questionable. We hope that the Lokayukta does justice in the matter. Its decision can be challenged only in the High Court. We want the Lokayukta to bring the truth to the fore.”

Commenting on the ULB’s report, Lokayukta said the six engineers/officials were chargesheeted and all delinquents were warned to be careful in the future.

“It is informed that the principal secretary ULB to the government was competent authority but no comments of authority concerned received along with the report. On perusal of report it reveals that no inquiry has been conducted on the complaint filed before this institution[sic],” observed the Lokayukta order.

Anand Mohan Sharan, principal secretary, ULB, Haryana government, said, “We will definitely reply to the Lokayukta’s order.”

Currently, the MCG is under the scanner or having many fake employees on the paper. “More than 300 outsourced employees are virtually ghost workers as they exist only on paper. I raised the issue in MCG House meeting on September 3,” said Ashwani Sharma, councillor, Ward 19.