New Delhi: The Petitions Committee of the Delhi Assembly on Saturday alleged that RTI replies secured by it has exposed that lieutenant governor Anil Baijal had given permission to the IAS officers to move high court against the Delhi Assembly on the issue of de-silting of drains in the national capital. The Committee said that it had recommended an inquiry into the irregularities by Public Works Department and the municipal corporations in de-silting the drains in Delhi. The Committee charged that despite glaring loopholes into the de-silting of the major drains in the city, no action has been taken by the L-G yet.
“The chief secretary and then PWD secretary, instead of agreeing to investigate serious charges of corruption, chose to challenge the Petitions Committee report in Delhi high court. Now RTI replies have exposed that Delhi L-G provided permissions to these IAS officers to file cases in the Delhi high court against Delhi Assembly,” it said.
The Committee added that the RTI replies also expose huge payments to the advocates who defended these IAS officers in corruption cases were made from the government exchequer on L-G’s instructions.
Last year during June-July 2017, the Petitions Committee of Delhi Assembly had visited over one hundred drains across Delhi under the three MCDs and the PWD. The Petitions Committee members were accompanied by top officers of PWD and three MCDs during the surprise field visits.
“It was found that most of the reports related to desilting were fabricated,” it added. The drains which were shown to be as 100 per cent de-silted and cleaned were found overflowing with filth and garbage. The photographs were attached as part of report below. The Assembly Committee had recommended Vigilance and ACB Enquiry into this deep-rooted corruption.
The LG who headed the ACB and Vigilance Dept did not even care to initiate the enquiry. The Committee had also recommended action against the then PWD Secretary Mr Ashwani Kumar but LG chose not to take any action on the officer.
“Instead of punishing the officer, the Central government rewarded Ashwani Kumar, the then PWD Secretary, by promoting him to Chief Secretary of Puducherry. There were serious recommendations of the Committee adopted by Assembly for which Chief Secretary has to ensure compliance. However, despite the elected government agreeing to implement the recommendations, the LG office openly helped the officers to not implement the recommendations,” it charged.
“The LG office even granted permission to these officers and even paid advocates fee to challenge the report of Petitions Committee in High Court of Delhi. Later, the case was disposed but no action has been initiated by the CS and the LG,” it said.
