Shunted babu complains against Kejriwal's secy

He alleges corrupt practices during e-gov initiative

Shunted bureaucrat Ashish Joshi, who had a public spat with Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashish Khetan, has now complained with the Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi government.

Joshi has taken on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Secretary Rajender Kumar. In his complaint, Joshi claimed that Kumar over a period of time had indulged in corruption.

Joshi said he learnt about the corrupt practices adopted by Kumar related to IT during the course of implementation of e-governance initiatives in Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) as Chief Digitisation Officer.

“I was later abruptly repatriated by Delhi government in violation of DOPT orders of 2010. I subsequently filed police complaints against Rajendra Kumar,” Joshi wrote. “It is also a matter of investigation why Delhi CM has appointed such an officer as his secretary. What signal does it send down the line to the bureaucracy?” he added.

Kumar was director (Education) from May 2002 to February 2005. During this time, he had created a computer lab: Caltoonz at Timarpur and EDUDEL MIS at Timarpur.

He made an office superintendent, Ashok Kumar, the in-charge of Caltoonz. Kumar later formed a company, Endeavours Systems, along with Dinesh Kumar Gupta, who used to supply stationary to Education Department, and Sandeep Kumar, a contractural employee at Caltoonz.

Kumar was later posted to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in 2007 he became Secretary (IT) in Delhi government. During this period, he got Endeavours Systems empaneled with a publice sector unit.

A PSU can work for Delhi government departments without tenders.
“The modus operandi was simple. Form a company and then get it empanelled with a PSU and then give orders to the PSU which in turn gets the work done through the empaneled company: Endeavours Systems,” Joshi added.

He alleged that IT-related work for more than Rs 50 crore was got done through this modus operandi.

The work orders were given to Endeavours Systems when Kumar was Secretary (IT), later as CMD (Transco), Secretary (Health) and Commissioner (VAT).

“The award of works without tenders have caused financial loss to the Delhi government,” Joshi said. He also alleged that a chain of such companies were formed between 2009 and 2014 in the fields of energy, real estate and coaching, and some of the directors are Kumar’s relatives.

Joshi filed the complaint with ACB chief Mukesh Kumar Meena, who was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, on June 12. The ACB also has a chief appointed by Delhi government.

A 1992-batch Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS) officer and Member-Secretary (Finance) of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Joshi was given the additional charge as Delhi Dialogue Commission’s Member-Secretary on March 3.

However, he was removed within a month on a complaint by DDC Vice-Chairperson Khetan. Chewing tobacco and smoking cigars were the reasons behind Joshi’s removal.

“Despite polite exhortations not to consume tobacco within office premises, Joshi continued to smoke cigars and consume tobacco. It was deeply embarrassing for me when Joshi sat in an important meeting with some stakeholders and consumed ghutka in front of everyone,” Khetan had written in his complaint.