Durga Shakti Nagpal suspension: Centre not to intervene

New Delhi, Aug 20: The Centre has decided not to intervene in the matter of suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, which has triggered a controversy, as no appeal has been made by her to challenge the suspension by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Nagpal, who had cracked down on sand mining mafia active in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, was suspended late last month ostensibly for ordering demolition of a wall of a local under-construction mosque allegedly without following the due process.

"The officer has not made any appeal with the Centre. Hence, the central government will not intervene in the matter. It will, however, make sure that the entire disciplinary procedure is followed as per rules," a senior official of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

He said that Nagpal has already sent her reply to a charge sheet issued by Uttar Pradesh administration. Following Nagpal's suspension on July 27, Centre had issued three reminders to UP government seeking a detailed report.

The state government had on August 4 sent a report on Nagpal's suspension to the DoPT and also served a charge sheet to her seeking response over her action deemed as unwarranted and in violation of rules by the ruling Samajwadi Party government.

Nagpal, a 2010 batch IAS officer, had replied to the charge sheet on August 16, in which she is understood to have stated that she has not violated any rule and abided by directions of Supreme Court.

According to Section (6A) of the All India Services According to Section (6A) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1969, a detailed report has to be forwarded to the Centre within 15 days of suspension of an officer.

"Where an order of suspension is made, or deemed to have been made, by the Government of a State under this rule, detailed report of the case shall be forwarded to the Central Government ordinarily within a period of 15 days of the date on which the member of the Service is suspended or is deemed to have been suspended, as the case may be," it says.

An aggrieved officer may alternatively appeal to the Centre within a period of 45 days from the date of receiving the order of suspension, the rule says. DoPT officials said they were overseeing the procedure being followed by the disciplinary authority (UP administration) in dealing with the Nagpal's reply to the charge sheet.

Meanwhile, representatives of three All India Services associations have demanded changes in rules to check abuse of power to transfer a civil servant by state governments. The demand was made by representatives of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) associations at a meeting with Secretary, DoPT S K Sarkar here yesterday.

They also demanded that the powers of suspending an officer be taken back from the states and be delegated to the Centre.

PTI