Galiara project: Sidhu sacks senior town planner for malpractices

CHANDIGARH: Cracking the whip, Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Sidhu on Thursday dismissed one senior town planner (STP), demoted three officers and ordered cut in pension of seven others for alleged malpractices with regard to the Galiara project in Amritsar.

The project aims at decongestion and beautification of lanes around the Golden Temple.

The minister, who carried out a review of action against the local government officials on the basis of an inquiry and their submissions, ordered dismissal of then STP Hemant Batra and demotion of assistant town planners (ATPs) Banke Bihari and Rajinder Sharma, and building inspector Harjinder Singh to one rank below.

He imposed a cut of 50% in pension for a period of three years in case of STP Shakti Sagar Bhatia, municipal town planner Des Raj, assistant town planners Surjit Singh, Ramesh Chandra, Suresh Raj and Manohar Singh Bhatti, and building inspector Michel, said an official spokesperson.

He said 33 officials of the corporation cadre, who were posted at Amritsar municipal corporation and dealt with issues relating to the Galiara project, were chargesheeted for dereliction of duty and wilful violation of the provisions of the Municipal Corporation Act and Rule 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment & Appeals) Rules.

After obtaining comments from the chargesheeted officials, an enquiry was conducted with retired additional district judge BC Gupta as inquiry officer.

The inquiry officer submitted the report on January 27, 2016 wherein 13 officials were found guilty while charges could not be proved against 20 others, the spokesperson said

PROBE ORDERED ON HC DIRECTIONS

He said the inquiry was conducted on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court. There were allegations of violation of building bye-laws and unauthorised conversion of residential buildings into hotels, serais and guest houses in and around the area of Galiara in the holy city.

The conversion was carried out without seeking permission from the competent authority and without paying requisite charges, thus causing a colossal loss to the departmental exchequer, said the spokesperson.

On the basis of the inquiry report, show-cause notices were issued to the officials concerned. After receiving their replies, the competent authority issued orders imposing punishments such as stopping annual increments and nominal cut in pensions for three years to the tune of 10% for those employees who had retired.

Those still in service were penalised with stoppage of three annual increments with cumulative effect.

MINISTER ALSO DEMOTES THREE OFFICERS AND ORDERS CUT IN PENSION OF SEVEN OTHERS