Under VB lens, IAS officer cleared for post-retirement job

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved the proposal to appoint Dr Hardeep Singh as DG, HAMETI

CHANDIGARH: Haryana government’s decision to give a post retirement appointment to IAS officer Hardeep Singh as director general, Haryana Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (HAMETI) has raised many eyebrows. He retires from the service on November 30.

Singh, presently posted as director general, agriculture department, is facing a vigilance probe in alleged irregularities pertaining to the selections of HCS and allied services by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) during the reign of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

An FIR in this regard was registered in 2005 by the state vigilance bureau under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code. Singh was the HPSC secretary at that time. However, When contacted, Hardeep Singh said that his name was not in the FIR and there was no court proceeding or departmental action pending against him. “I cannot comment as to why the Vigilance Bureau has sought sanction to prosecute after so many years,’’ he said on being asked about the pending sanction for prosecution.

VB has sought sanction to prosecute him

In fact, the vigilance bureau has sought sanction from the state government to prosecute him and others. However, the government is yet to accord sanction. Sanction to prosecute a public servant under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act is sought when the investigating agency is ready with the charge sheet for filing it in a court of law.

“There is no bar to give a person figuring in a vigilance case post retirement employment. His appointment as DG, HAMETI has been approved by the chief minister,” said an official defending the government’s decision. However, the move flies in the face of the state government’s professed zero tolerance for corruption approach.

Congress MLA from Faridabad NIT, Neeraj Sharma said that one wonders whether the BJP-JJP government’s zero tolerance for corruption is a sham.

“The vigilance bureau has sought sanction to prosecute him. Is this government so bankrupt that it cannot find an officer with a clean record?’’ the MLA said.

“CM has approved as proposed by ACS, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. He has desired that due process may be followed while availing services of Dr Hardeep Singh, IAS,” wrote deputy principal secretary to the chief minister (DPSCM) K. Makrand Pandurang on November 15 while approving the proposal to give Singh a post retirement job.

The Haryana agriculture department in its proposal to push for the post retirement employment to Singh had written that at present DDA Kaithal has been assigned the additional charge of Director, HAMETI.

“As per the new training policy of the state government, each and every employee has to be trained and for this 2% of the total budget has to be spent for agriculture department which comes to around ₹ 50 crore. The agriculture department is having 4,800 sanctioned posts. There are 2,536 posts which are filled and 2,254 are likely to be filled up through Haryana Public Service Commission and Haryana Staff Selection Commission in the following months. However, nor the department has such capacity neither HAMETI is prepared to train these huge number of employees in a vast field like agriculture. In addition, the Institute also needs to go for research activities in the related fields and train unemployed youths for agriculture extension programs and techniques,’’ reads the proposal.

It further said that it is need of the hour that a full-time experienced officer in field of agriculture be engaged on the post of director HAMETI to supervise all its affairs. Hardeep Singh “is going to superannuate on November 30, 2022, He is PHD in agriculture and sufficiently fulfills the required qualification and experience for the post of director HAMETI...’’ it reads.

My name was not in the FIR and there was no court proceeding or departmental action pending against me

HARDEEP SINGH , director general, agriculture department