Yogi Adityanath orders suspension of five PWD officials over irregularities

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of five PWD officials, soon after the removal of department minister Jitin Prasada's OSD following allegations of the non-compliance of the transfer policy and irregularities.

Those suspended included Manoj Kumar Gupta, Engineer-in-Chief (Development) and the head of the department, according to a statement.

The other officials are Engineer-in-chief (Project and Planning) Rakesh Kumar Saxena, Senior Staff Officer Shailendra Kumar Yadav, Administrative Officer Pankaj Dixit and Principal Assistant Sanjay Kumar Chaurasia.

Also Read: Dalit minister resigns as rift surfaces in UP ministry over transfers

A disciplinary inquiry has been instituted against them, the statement said.

The action came soon after a controversy erupted over the non-compliance of the transfer policy and irregularities, which had led to the removal of Jitin Prasada's OSD Anil Kumar Pandey on July 18.

Adityanath had constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by Agriculture Production Commissioner Manoj Kumar Singh after serious irregularities in transfers came to the fore in the Public Works Department.

The committee had submitted its report on July 16 and based on its findings, the chief minister ordered the suspension of the officers with immediate effect.

A senior official said the minister's OSD was relieved of his duties following complaints against him. Pandey is being sent back to the central government and a probe has been recommended against him, the official added.

According to department officials, more than 150 transfers were made in the department and they seem to be "arbitrary". Some engineers have been given two postings while in some cases more than one official has been posted on one post.

Minister Jitin Prasada did not pick his phone on Wednesday when he was called for his reaction on the issue.