UP govt likely to charge sheet suspended IAS officer

Notwithstanding the severe criticism of its action, Uttar Pradesh government is likely to charge sheet suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who has the reputation of having taken on sand mafia in Noida.

"The charge sheet is being prepared which would be served to her shortly," a senior official said.

After senior cabinet minister Shivpal Singh Yadav justified Nagpal's suspension, the view of the government became clear that it would go ahead and serve charge sheet to her and that it was in no mood to revoke the order.

Yadav said it was a "misconception" that mining mafia had a hand in suspension of the SDM Gautam Buddha Nagar.

"No, nothing as such now...It's an administrative matter," Yadav told reporters here when asked whether suspension of Nagpal will be revoked.

"A misconception has been spread that there is hand of mining mafia in suspension of Nagpal. The fact is that she was suspended for getting wall of a religious place demolished," Yadav said.

He said some people conspiring to orchestrate communal riots had made a false complaint to Nagpal about dispute on construction of wall and the officer trusted them.

"The government will not spare any lax officer and action has also been initiated against Nagpal...There was no hand of mining mafia in the suspension", he said.

Meanwhile, demands to revoke Nagpal's suspension grew louder with the central body of IAS officers seeking that the "wrong" be undone immediately and opposition BSP saying honest officials were facing hardships in the "goonda and mafia raj" of SP.

The All India IAS Association demanded immediate revocation of suspension of the young IAS officer who took stringent action against sand mafia.

"Whatever wrong has been should be immediately undone. Such action is not appropriate," Association's Secretary Sanjay R Bhoos Reddy told PTI in Delhi.

He said the Association's member will meet Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy, Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training, nodal authority for personnel matters of IAS, Dr Shyamal Sarkar and Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth tomorrow in support of its demand.

Narayanasamy, however, said the Centre is awaiting a report from the Uttar Pradesh government based on which it will decide the future course of action.

Holding that Nagpal's suspension proved that "goonda and mafia raj" was prevailing under SP rule in the state, BSP chief Mayawati demanded that the Centre and the UP Governor intervene in the matter.

"In the prevailing dismal law and order situation and goonda and mafia raj, apart from the people of the state, honest officials are facing hardships. The suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal is an example, as she been sacrificed for mining mafia," Mayawati told reporters in Lucknow.

Meanwhile, SP leader Narinder Bhati, who had earlier claimed that the Noida SDM was suspended on his complaint, denied his role in her suspension and said he would quit politics if his links to mining mafia are proved.

"The SDM's role in demolition of boundary wall of religious place was the cause of her suspension and not illegal mining related issues," he said in Greater Noida.

Bhati is chairman of UP Agro Corporation and enjoys the status of a cabinet minister.

Noida BJP MLA Mahesh Sharma alleged that when a temple was recently demolished, the state government did not take any action against guilty officers.

"But now, when a boundary wall on government land constructed by a religious body to grab the land near mosque was demolished, the UP Chief Minister suspended the honest SDM who was doing her duty," he claimed, demanding revocation of her suspension orders.

28-year-old Nagpal, who was suspended on July 27 as Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar district, met Revenue Board Chairman Jagan Mathews in Lucknow yesterday.

The 2010 batch IAS officer, whose cadre was changed to Uttar Pradesh from Punjab in August last year, is attached to the Board of Revenue in Lucknow.

The IAS Association has already met Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and urged him to revoke Nagpal's suspension.

Her suspension has been challenged in the Allahabad High Court through a public interest litigation which is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.