Cabinet acts on officials for graft

In an apparent bid to send out a message against corruption and irregularities, the State cabinet on Tuesday decided on strict action against ten officers of different departments.

In an apparent bid to send out a message against corruption and irregularities, the State cabinet on Tuesday decided on strict action against ten officers of different departments.

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Besides, the cabinet presided by the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also decided to increase the honorarium of government advocates and additional government advocates. Most of the officials against whom action was sought are now retired.

They include retired State Administrative Service officer Ranglal Jaipal, executive engineer of Water Resources Department, Satna RP Singh, retired executive engineer PL Nahir, sub-divisional officers AL Gupta and RC Shrivastava, retired ophthalmologist Dr SS Bundela; sub-engineers RN Singh and Badri Singh Thakur, retired forest Officers Chintaman Patel and RP Shrivastava.

The cabinet which met at Vallabh Bhavan decided to withhold five percent pension of Ranglal Jaipal for a period of one year. Jaipal had not attended a meeting convened by the Commissioner, Settlement and went on leave without prior intimation.

It was decided to institute a departmental enquiry against retired ophthalmologist Dr SS Bundela for irregularities committed by him in purchase of medicines and equipments. The cabinet decided to permanently withhold the pension of retired sub engineer Badri Singh Thakur after the court found him guilty of irregularities. Lokayukta police has already registered a case of possessing property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The cabinet decided to institute a departmental enquiry against executive engineer RP Singh of Water Resources Department and to permanently withhold 20 percent pension of retired executive engineer PL Nahir. It was also decided to withhold five percent pension of retired assistant engineer RS Shrivastava for a period of two years. The two officers were found guilty of committing irregularities in canal works under Barchar project in Sidhi district.

The cabinet decided to recover lump sum amount equivalent to two increments with non-cumulative effect from the pension of retired executive engineer AL Gupta and permanently withhold the cent per cent pension of two retired forest officers Chintamani Patel and RP Shrivastava after they were punished by the court. It also decided to initiate a disciplinary action against RP Shrivastava.

The cabinet also decided to relax the ban of setting up of new powerlooms outside the radius of border of municipal corporation, increase the honororium of government advocates and additional government advocates, delete the subjects of music and fine arts from the list of higher education department and sanctioned the action plan for different department for effective implementation of the Utthan Abiyan for rehabilitation of the physically challenged.

Other decisions
1 Relax ban on new powerlooms outside 8 kms of Municipal council in Burhanpur

2 Extending time limit for special recruitmen drive of SC/ST/OBC

3 Deleting music, fine arts from list of higher education department

4 Raising honororium of government advocates, additional government advocates

5 Nod to establish three zonal offices of Directorate of Handloom