Almost a year after Haryana Lokayukta recommended FIR against four IAS officers in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of UPA government’s flagship scheme MGNREGA in Ambala district during 2007-10, a government committee has informed the state Chief Secretary that it could not reach a consensus regarding further action into the matter.
The committee head and Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal said on Monday that they had informed the Chief Secretary DS Dhesi regarding their view point two months ago. “The committee had informed the Chief Secretary that we were not able to arrive at a consensus…Chief Minister is competent authority in this case [to take further action],” said Kaushal.
Senior IAS officer Anurag Rastogi, Additional Advocate General Amar Vivek and Director General of State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) PR Deo were other members of the committee.
Lokayukta Justice Nawal Kishore Agarwal (retd) in May 2017 had recommended registration of an FIR against four IAS officers — Sameer Pal Srow, Mohammad Shayin, Sumedha Kataria and Renu Phulia— in connection with the alleged irregularities in the scheme to a tune of Rs 25 crore. The Lokayukta had also said that an action taken report on the recommendations be sent to it within three months adding, “a senior competent police officer, having an impeccable reputation and integrity, be deputed to investigate the matter”.
An RTI activist PP Kapoor, who had taken the matter to the Lokayukta has expressed disappointment over the conclusion of the committee. “When the Lokayukta, after an inquiry had made clear instructions there was no need of formation of a new committee. We will approach the High Court for action into the matter,” Kapoor said
The vigilance bureau in 2012 had recommended criminal action against few forest officers but action against the administrative bureaucrats was left on the government despite indicting them into the matter. Lokayukta had expressed surprise why the vigilance bureau did not recommend similar action against the bureaucrats.
The government had constituted the committee headed by Kaushal to examine the issues related to implementation of the recommendations of the Lokayukta.
A committee member said, “At least 3-4 meetings were held. There was consensus in the committee that there can’t be equality in taking criminal action against all the officers. There is difference between the role of those officers who execute the work and who release the funds for the same. How can you equalate the responsibility of both? Though, there were different views regarding disciplinary action against the officers. So, we preferred it to leave to the government.”
According to the vigilance report, the bureaucrats had kept releasing the grant to Jagmohan Sharma (an accused forest officer) even after three officers exposed the irregularities in the implementation of MGNREGA scheme adding grant of Rs 25 crore was released without administrative and technical approval.
The all four IAS officers, who are facing allegations, in their replies to the Lokayukta registrar, had claimed that once inquiry has been conducted by the vigilance bureau and appropriate action had been taken by the government, no further inquiry can be conducted.
“The allegations are baseless. I had done proper checking when I was Ambala’s Additional Deputy Commissioner during 2008-09. The work was done properly. A forest department committee had stated 90-95% trees were able to survive,” said Renu Phulia said on Monday.
