Day after NGT rebuke, Faridabad civic body commissioner shifted
ACTION Tribunal had taken a strong note of inaction against a petrol pump in green belt, calling her approach ‘unbecoming of an officer’
CHANDIGARH: A day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) came down heavily on Faridabad municipal corporation (MC) commissioner Anita Yadav and asked the Haryana chief secretary to replace her with a “suitable and a responsible officer”, the state government on Saturday shifted her.
On Friday, hearing an application on an illegal petrol pump in Faridabad’s green belt, the tribunal said it found the MC commissioner’s approach in not taking any action unbecoming of her position.
Yadav has been posted as director and special secretary, tourism department relieving Vikas Yadav of the charge. Additional director (urban estate Faridabad) Sonal Goel has replaced her.
While two other IAS officers were also transferred, four were given additional charges. Faridabad deputy commissioner Atul Kumar was given the additional charge of Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) administrator in Faridabad, and additional director, urban estate, Faridabad, relieving Sonal Goel of the charge.
Sonepat deputy commissioner Anshaj Singh was given the additional charge of Sonepat MC commissioner as the post was vacant, while Rajiv Rattan, special secretary, home-2 department was given additional charge of director, consolidation of landholdings and land records.
Yamunanagar deputy commissioner Mukul Kumar was given additional charge of member secretary, Haryana Backward Classes Commission, relieving Shekhar Vidyarthi while Sangeeta Tetarwal was posted as managing director, Haryana women development corporation.
‘ORDER IGNORED FOR A LONG TIME’
The NGT bench in its Friday order observed, “The least she could have done was to coordinate with any other state agency involved in the matter which has not been done. There is also no explanation why the order of this tribunal was ignored for a long time.”
The bench also directed the chief secretary to file a report within two weeks in view of the illegal operation of the petrol pump. Subsequently, in a communication to the chief secretary, state additional advocate general (AAG) Anil Grover said the tribunal initially wanted to pass a harsher order.
“However, a humble request by the AAG and the MC commissioner resulted into dilution of the order,” the communication said. The bench also observed that there have been repeated failures of the officer in performing her functions in the matters.