Zakir Naik NGO Case: IAS officer GK Dwivedi gets new posting

Senior IAS officer GK Dwivedi's suspension was revoked last month by the Centre.

New Delhi, Nov 24: Senior IAS officer GK Dwivedi, whose suspension in connection with the renewing of license of an NGO run by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik was recently revoked, has been appointed as Joint Secretary in Department of Land Resources as part of a mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Wednesday.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved appointment of Dwivedi to the post till September next year, when he completes five year of deputation period, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Dwivedi, a 1993 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre and earlier posted as Joint Secretary in Foreigners Division of the Home Ministry, was suspended along with three others on September 1, after it came to light that the licence of Islamic Research Foundation, headed by Naik, had been renewed in August this year.

Following representation of senior IAS officers, his suspension was revoked last month by the Centre.

He was placed on compulsory wait in DoPT.

It was alleged that due diligence was not carried out before facilitating renewal of the licence given under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to the NGO of Naik, who has been accused of brain washing youths into joining terror groups.

However, his organisation has denied all these charges.

Besides him, 17 other Joint Secretaries have been appointed in various Central government departments.

PTI