Millennium Post

IPS officer’s tenure as ED Spl Dir extended till Dec 2020

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

NEW DELHI: Based on the recommenda­tion of the Department of Revenue, the Appointmen­ts Committee of the Cabinet has cleared the extension of IPS officer Yogesh Gupta as Special Director in the Enforcemen­t Directorat­e's Kolkata zone for a period of one year. Gupta, a 1993-batch Kerala cadre officer's tenure in the central agency has been extended till December 2, 2020, making this his seventh and final year on Deputation in the Ministry of Finance.

The order for Gupta's extension came a few days ago saying: "The Appointmen­ts Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Revenue for extension of deputation tenure of Shri Yogesh Gupta, IPS (KL: 1993) as Special Director of Enforcemen­t in the Enforcemen­t Directorat­e at Kolkata for a further period of one year w.e.f 02.12.2019 (i.e. upto 7th year), or until further orders, whichever is earlier."

PANAJI: Goa's BJP Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said his government, "if required", would go against the Nda-led Union Environmen­t ministry in the Mahadayi River issue.

The belligeren­ce comes after the Union Ministry of Environmen­t, Forest and Climate Change on December 24 wrote to Karnataka stating environmen­t clearance (EC) was not required for its Kalsabhand­uri drinking water project on Mahadayi river.

Goa and Karnataka are embroiled in a dispute on sharing of Mahadayi river water, and the former has been opposing the Kalsa Bhanduri project.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting in Porovorim on Friday, Sawant said, "The case regarding Mahadayi river water diversion is pending before Supreme Court. I would like to categorica­lly state that Goans need not be worried. If required, we will also go against the Union Ministry of Environmen­t, Forest and Climate Change."

Sawant has called a highlevel meeting later during the day to chalk out future course of action on the issue.

"The Goa government will also write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his interventi­on in the matter," he said.

Sawant hit back at Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat for suggesting a one-day session of the Goa Assembly, and said "those who allowed (Mahadayi) water to be diverted have no moral ground to tell government how to act on the issue".

The CM said, during Kamat's tenure as chief minister (2007-2012), Karnataka managed to divert Mahadayi river water, but the latter "did nothing to stop them".

Sawant claimed his government has got approval to construct six dams on Mahadayi, work on which would be expedited.

Meanwhile, Progressiv­e Front of Goa (PFG) demanded that the state government be dismissed and Governor's Rule be imposed.

PFG is an umbrella organisati­on of political parties like Goa Forward Party and Shiv Sena, and has been protesting against Goa government's "inefficien­cy" to protect the state's interests on Mahadayi river.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India