TWO IAS OFFICERS SUSPENDED IN NH 74 SCAM IN UTTARAKHAND

The Uttarakhand government has suspended two civil servants, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey and Chandresh Yadav, both IAS with immediate effect after the Uttarakhand governor signed the state government’s recommendation for their suspension.

Both the officers were allegedly found involved in the corrupt practices in the NH 74 scam in which they have been accused of granting undue favours to certain interested parties by arbitrarily entering / converting the government land in govt records into private land and benefitting the illegal encroachers to the tune of crores of rupees.

The investigation of the special task force had allegedly found both these Indian Administrative Service Officers guilty of their direct complicity in this illegal and fishy activities amounting to open corruption thus benefitting the illegal encroachers rather than initiating punitive legal actions against them.

According to the official order of the suspension of Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, IAS issued by the Deputy Chief Secterary of government of Uttarakhand Radha Raturi vide letter number 860/ xxx -1-18-19 ( investigation)/ 2018, 11 th September has stated that it has been revealed that in the process of Land acquisition for the National Highway 74′ s arbitration process Dr. Pandey has openly violated the provisions of the National Highways Arbitration Act 1980 n 1956 National Highways Act, including the central and state government’s financial rules, regulations and orders thus committing a serious open fraud and corruption by illegally helping the unlawful encroachers as well as coverting the govt land into the private land and sanctioning crores of rupees as illegal financial compensations.

The action has been initiated against both these IAS officers after their full complicity in the fishy and corrupt act and being duly proved and substantiated by the special task force investigating the scam.

It may be recalled that soon after being sworn in as the Chief minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat has immediately recommended the multi crore NH 74 scam for the CBI investigation to the central government but was turned down by the National Highways and Transport minister Nitin Gadkari citing the reason that it may amount to the unnecessary harrasment of the NHAI officers and hampering of the ongoing work. However, the investigation was thereafter handed over to the special task force.

It may be recalled that Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey is the 2000 batch IAS officer who had been the district magistrate of Chamoli, Almora, Champavat, Uttarkashi and Uddham Singh Nagar. He had been the recipient of the Presidential honour for an outstanding job of census. He was looking over the charge of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand from December 2013 to November 2015 the duration of the NH 74 Scam.

Another suspended IAS officer Chandresh Yadav is of 2006 batch having served as the district majistrates in Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag and Udham Singh Nagar. He also served as the MD of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam.