Lokayukta writes to Guv, seeks action against IAS officer

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta organisation has sent a letter to governor Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel seeking action against senior IAS officer Anirudh Mukherjee for his reply in the high court in a petition related to the alleged Ujjain’s Datana-Matana airstrip maintenance ‘scam’.The Lokayukta organisation stated that it finds his submission as ‘adverse’ and ‘unfavourable’ to the state government, said sources. Mukherjee is currently posted as principal secretary of the public assets management department. “The petitioner is named as ‘accused’ in the FIR registered by Lokayukta’s special police establishment (SPE) and giving an adverse remark not favourable to government comes under the category of misuse of official position, therefore the Lokayukta has recommended strong action against the officer under Section 12 of the Lokayukta and Up-Lokayukta Act,” said a Lokayukta officer wishing anonymity.If the Lokayukta or the Up-Lokayukta is satisfied with the action taken or proposed to be taken on his recommendations, he shall close the case under information to the complainant, the public servant and the competent authority concerned. If he considers that the case so deserves, he may make a special report upon the case to the Governor and also inform the complainant concerned.In October 2020, MP high court had dismissed a petition filed by senior IAS officer Kavindra Kiyawat for quashing an FIR registered against him by the Lokayukta police in connection with the alleged Ujjain airstrip maintenance ‘scam’. The court ordered the probe agency to complete investigation at the earliest. Mukherjee who was principal secretary then – had responded to the high court notice. Kiyawat, a former Ujjain collector who retired as divisional commissioner in Bhopal, was one of five IAS officers booked by the anti-corruption agency in its FIR dated November 24, 2019. He maintains he is not connected with the issue in any manner.Lokayukta had received a complaint from Indore residents Piyush Jain and Bharat Bamne in 2015, who alleged corruption by some PWD officials and collectors in connivance with the directors of a private aviation company in respect of maintenance, use and development of the airstrip at Datana, Ujjain. These complaints led to a preliminary enquiry on July 22, 2015, whose report formed the basis of the FIR.Court ordered the agency to complete the investigation at the earliest. The contract with the firm was signed in 2006 for seven years, extendable by three more. It’s alleged that the firm didn’t pay dues for six years, till 2013, thereby causing loss to government revenue. Kiyawat was posted as Ujjain collector from July 7, 2014, till July 27, 2016. Lokayukta police registered a case under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act and 120B IPC against five officers who had served as district collectors between 2006 and 2019, three executive engineers, and eight directors of the company.
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