Magsaysay awardee questions ‘efficiency’ of Chief Secretary

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 18

Ramon Magsaysay Award, recipient Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who is working as Conservator of Forest at Haldwani in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, has written to Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, accused him of “sitting over” a reference sent by the Haryana Governor over three months ago seeking action against government officials who had filed false cases against Chaturvedi during his tenure in Haryana.

In a letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Chaturvedi had written to Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki in November 2017, demanding action against the officers who had concealed Governor’s order dated February 11, 2011, in filing a writ petition before the Punjab and Haryana High court in March 2014.

In the writ petition, the Haryana Government had demanded quashing of a two-member inquiry committee report of the Central Government which had indicted then Chief Minister’s Office, then Forest Minister and senior functionaries of the state, including then Principal Secretary (Forest), for their alleged role in various alleged cases of corruption exposed by Chaturvedi and had recommended a CBI investigation against them.

The petition had also demanded quashing of orders issued by the President in January 2011, which on the basis of recommendations of the inquiry committee, had quashed a chargesheet against Chaturvedi. The Presidential order was accepted through a notification issued by the Governor on February 11, 2011, however, the same was not mentioned by the state government in their writ petition.

Chaturvedi has, in his letter to the Governor, said the writ petition was aimed to protect certain corrupt officials from the CBI investigation. On his complaint, the Governor’s office had sought comments of the Chief Secretary on November 23, 2017. However, it is learnt that the Chief Secretary has not responded to the Governor’s communication.

The Uttarakhand forest officer, in his letter, has stated that as head of Haryana IAS Officers’ Association, the Chief Secretary, within 24 hours of alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, he had got a resolution passed terming the incident as “shameless attack on rule of law” and had demanded speedy legal proceedings, arrest of perpetrators and their trial in a fast-track court. But he has not responded to Chaturvedi’s letter or to that by the Haryana Governor.

In May 2016, the Advocate General had also recommended withdrawal of the writ petition and this was mentioned in HC proceedings also on May 31, 2016. However, its outcome was never intimated to the Governor’s office.

In his letter to the Chief Secretary, Chaturvedi has also quoted provisions of Para 27 of rules of business which says that any matter likely to bring the state government into controversy with the Centre has to be brought to the notice of the Governor immediately.

Mentioning Articles 154 and 166 of the Constitution which says that administration of state will be run in the name of Governor, he has expressed surprise as to how the petition was approved to be filed when the Governor had already accepted the Presidential order.

Dhesi did not respond to repeated calls and messages.