Revenue officer forcibly retired

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 6

In an exemplary punishment, Kharar Tehsildar Tarsem Singh Mittal has been forcibly retired from service after withdrawing his second one-year extension post-retirement for attesting a fraudulent General Power of Attorney (GPA) in 2012.

Punjab Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Vini Mahajan sent the revenue officer packing after Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra indicted the officer. A chargesheet has also been served on Mittal under Section 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. According to an order issued by Mahajan, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Mittal was given a second one-year extension in service from May 1 this year to April 30 next after he completed his first one-year extension post-retirement at the age of 58 on April 30, 2017.

After the Tehsildar was granted the second extension, the Mohali Deputy Commissioner came to know that Mittal, while being posted as Joint Sub-Registrar in Kharar, had on May 28, 2012, attested a GPA, which during a course of inquiry was found to be fraudulent. “The Deputy Commissioner’s probe established that the revenue officer had committed serious dereliction of duty,” the order of the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) read. Acting on the recommendation of the Deputy Commissioner, Mahajan ordered to forcibly retire the Tehsildar after withdrawing his second extension in service with effect from June 22 afternoon without serving any separate notice. This was done in accordance with the guidelines of the Finance Department on service extension issued on April 30, 2015.

“The retired officer will be bound to pay dues, if any, and undergo departmental/disciplinary action as per the final outcome of the case,” Mahajan made it clear in the order issued on June 22.