Simhasta corruption: Action against 57 officers

Bhopal, Aug 1 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh government has initiated disciplinary action against 57 officers, mostly engineers, for sub-standard construction work during the ''Simhasta'' festival at Ujjain in 2004, the Assembly was informed today.

A total of 715 construction works, costing Rs 291.35 crore, were carried out for the Simhasta held between April 4 and May 5 that year. During test check of 58 works by five inquiry teams, 26 works pertaining to Public Works Department, Ujjain Municipal Corporation and Ujjain Development Authority were found to be sub-standard and of poor quality, the inquiry report presented in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly said.

Massive corruption in the construction works during Simhasta was reported and then Chief Minister Uma Bharti had ordered inquiry into it. After preliminary inquiry by a team of three Principal Secretaries, five teams, each headed by a senior IAS officer, were constituted for test checks of the works. Three teams looked into the works carried out by the PWD and one each into the works of the municipal corporation and development authority.

The report said PWD had initiated action against 20 officers, Housing and Environment department against 18 officers and Urban Administation and Development department against 19 officers.

''The government would ensure disciplinary action against officers after fixing their responsibility for the lapses, irregularities and sub-standard work'', Urban Development Minister Jayant Malaiya said.

The report pointed out that the Chief Technical Examiner's opinion was sought for dropping action against three PWD engineers, who were charge-sheeted earlier, while replies to show cause notices against 18 engineers were being examined.

As many as 42 show cause notices had been issued to 17 officers of Ujjain Municipal Corporation or those on deputation to the corporation.

Mr Vinod Sharma, the then Municipal Commissioner, was not found responsible for the shortcomings in works carried out by the civic body though a show cause notice was issued to him earlier, the report said.

The Ujjain Divisional Commissioner had opined against fixing responsibility on then Municipal Commissioner Ajit Kesri also as technical officers were responsible for the works, it added. Action was proposed against 2 executive engineers, 7 assistant engineers and 8 sub-engineers of the civic body, besides Mr Sharma and Mr Kesri.

Replies against show cause notices received from 18 engineers of the Housing and Environment department--5 executive engineers, 5 assistant engineers and 8 sub-engineers-- were also under examination, the report added.

UNI