2 senior IAS officers, PCS officer suspended in Haridwar land scam

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took major action and suspended two senior Indian Administrative Officers (IAS) officers and a Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer in the Haridwar land scam, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

A departmental inquiry will be initiated against the suspended officers. A total of 12 officers have been suspended against the officers including District Magistrate (DM) Kamendra Singh, former Municipal Commissioner (MC) Varun Chaudhary and Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ajayveer Singh, the statement said.

The scam involves large-scale irregularities in land allocation and transfer.

The decisions taken by the Uttarakhand CM are a sign of decisive change in the administrative culture of the state.

Earlier on May 25, in another move to bring an end to corruption in the state, the Uttarakhand CM directed officials to conduct campaigns against corruption more effectively and submit detailed reports of actions taken so far in cases related to conversion, as per a release.

Further, CM Dhami directed the officials to continue the verification campaign. He also said that immediate and strict action should be taken upon receiving information about any suspicious activity or person.

The chief minister also pointed out that while making the Aadhar card and other government documents, it should be ensured that no document is issued without proper verification.

Meanwhile, regarding property encroachment, the Chief Minister directed the officials to continue the ongoing campaign against it and ensured that land that has been made encroachment-free does not recur.

CM Dhami has further directed officials to conduct a detailed assessment of enemy property encroachment and submit a comprehensive report.

During a review meeting, the CM emphasised prioritising local workers for construction work on government buildings while incorporating the state's cultural identity and traditional mountain architecture in their design.

Additionally, CM Dhami instructed officials to bolster security arrangements in border areas and launch intensive checking campaigns to ensure safety and vigilance.