Two PWD officers suspended for dereliction of duty

New Delhi, July 10

Two engineers of the Public Works Department have been suspended for dereliction of duty after an inspection by CM Arvind Kejriwal of some drains in Ambedkar Nagar area here pointed at discrepancies in the status reports of desilting of drains.

Kejriwal, who was accompanied by PWD Minister Satyendar Jain, found yesterday that the status reports on desilting of drains were misleading and officers had misinformed the government.

“It is also informed that two officers have been suspended for dereliction of duty,” read statement. “Two engineers have been suspended for dereliction of duty and giving false reports on desilting of drains,” Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said.

The government said thousands of crores of rupees are spent every year for desilting the drains before the monsoon. However, it is an open secret that most of this desilting exercise by the civic agencies is just an exercise on papers. It is a multi-crore scam spreading all civic agencies, claimed the Delhi government in a statement later issued.

The Petitions Committee of Assembly had visited over hundred drains under three civic bodies and the PWD. It was found that most of the reports submitted by civic bodies and the PWD to the Assembly Committee as well as the High Court were fabricated and were far from reality, the government added.

The drains which were shown to be as 100 per cent desilted were found overflowing with filth and garbage. The committee had recommended Vigilance and ACB inquiry into this corruption.

The government also attacked the LG saying, “The LG who headed the ACB and Vigilance Dept did not even care to initiate the inquiry. The Committee had also recommended action against then PWD Secretary Ashwani Kumar but LG chose not to take any action on the officer." Instead of punishing the officer, the Centre rewarded him by promoting him as the Chief Secretary in Puducherry.” — TNS