Lucknow: The appointments of allegedly “tainted” officials to “malaidar (lucrative)” positions in Uttar Pradesh’s industrial development department has sparked a row involving a tussle between a member of legislative council from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and a state cabinet minister.
Raising allegations of corruption against the “entire department”, MLC Devendra Pratap Singh has said that the appointments show that the government seems to like “criminal officials who deserve to be in jail”. Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ has, however, made it clear that there is “no question of cancelling these appointments”.
The MLC made the remarks during a Vidhan Parishad session last week, asking Gupta about the number of officials transferred to the posts of general manager, regional manager and project officer in the department, how many of them are facing vigilance inquiry, the reason behind the appointments and whether the department would consider cancelling them.
Minister Gupta found himself in a tight spot as the MLC asked if this was what “zero tolerance against corruption” meant.
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According to the questions and the minister’s response accessed by ThePrint, nine of the 12 officials transferred to senior positions, like regional manager and project officer, have faced vigilance probes. Inquiries against at least seven of these are still underway.
Two of them have previously faced suspensions. Another one was dismissed from service, but was reinstated after approaching the high court against the government’s decision. However, she continues to face a departmental inquiry.
Officials facing probe
One of the officials—regional manager C.K. Maurya—is facing a vigilance probe with the report pending. Maurya was posted as regional manager for Agra on 13 July, 2023.
Vinod Kumar, who was transferred from Agra to Kanpur as the regional manager, was punished with an “adverse entry” and salary deduction for being found prima facie responsible for violations in the online process of land allotments. Vinod was also appointed to the new post in July last year.
“Kumar was suspended on 25 September, 2023 for not fulfilling his duties to resolve different problems being faced by investors in establishment of projects and a department inquiry was instituted against him,” said the minister in his reply.
It added that Vinod’s suspension was revoked without any punishment after the inquiry officer could not prove one of the allegations levelled against him.
Further, Ajay Deep Singh, who was transferred as project officer in Unnao from the Business Promotion Publicity Cell (BPPC), Kanpur on 17 July, 2023, has a pending inquiry against him in connection with irregularities in the general and backlog recruitments in 2008-09, as decided by the state vigilance committee in its 170th meeting on 11 May, 2022.
A departmental inquiry was initiated against Ajay Deep on 23 December, 2021 after he was found prima facie responsible for irregularities in plot-related matters. He was suspended the same day. The suspension was stayed after he approached Allahabad High Court, while the inquiry remains pending.
Six others are under the scanner in connection with the same alleged irregularities as Ajay Deep.
These include Pradeep Kumar Satyarthi (transferred from Prayagraj to Ghaziabad as regional manager), Reema Singh (transferred as regional manager in Aligarh from project office, Ghaziabad), Geshu (appointed as regional manager, Moradabad SEZ after transfer from Surajpur), Ajay Yadav (transferred as regional manager, Ayodhya from Aligarh), and Mansoor Katiyar (transferred as regional manager, Bareilly from Kanpur).
Sharmila Patel, who was transferred as project officer, Ghaziabad from the industrial section in Kanpur on 14 July last year, was dismissed from service in the UP State Industrial Development Authority on 26 November, 2014, but the dismissal was overturned by the high court.
‘Entire department is corrupt’
Speaking on the floor of the Vidhan Parishad last week, MLC Devendra Pratap remarked that it seemed that “tainted” and “criminal” people, who have been accused and chargesheeted, have been given “malaidar” postings.
“Inquiries against some have been pending for as long as 10 years. This means that officials sitting in the government are giving patronage to the corrupt and tainted officials. If the accused have got malaidar posts, the entire department is under the cloud of suspicion,” he said.
Responding curtly to the accusations, Minister Gupta said that only the former could tell what the definition of a “malaidar” posting was. “I want to say that the government under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath is working on the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption and the 12 transfers have been done for public benefit.”
Asked if he was satisfied with the minister’s reply, the MLC told ThePrint that he would not have asked a question in the house had he been satisfied.
“It shows that the entire department is corrupt. It is up to the government to ensure that officials with a clean image are posted. Departmental probe has established that they were prima facie involved in corruption. It shows that tainted officials are held dear by the government even as they should be facing jail,” he said.
He added that there are four more officials, who were given the posts of regional managers, and those who should be under the Rs 4,600 grade pay are getting a grade pay of Rs. 5,200.
“An open vigilance inquiry means that evidence against these officials was found in the departmental probe,” he said.
ThePrint also reached out to the minister and his public relations officer via phone calls and text messages. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
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