2 officials sacked for providing wrong info in Haryana Assembly

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 3

The Industries and Commerce Department has dismissed a senior manager and an assistant of the Bureau of Industrial Promotion and Policy (BIPP) for providing wrong information to a question asked during the winter session of the Haryana Assembly in 2020.

Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said, “It is for the first time such a strict action has been taken.The sanctity of House has to be maintained.”

Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary from Mullana had asked an un-starred question on projects of tool room or technology centres.

In reply, the department had submitted that two projects of tool room or technology centre were set up at the Industrial Model Township (IMT) in Rohtak and Saha (Ambala).

Chaudhary, in his complaint dated January 19, submitted that the areas earmarked for the tool roomin the Industrial GrowthCentre, Saha, forming partof his constituency, was “lying vacant and no construction/training activities have been started so far”.

He added wrong information misguided the House and “the wrong reply amounts to a breach of privilege”.

The department acknowledged its error and tendered an unconditional apology for the inadvertent errors in its reply dated February 24 to the Assembly. It also requested to take a lenient view.

On March 16, the Speaker called a meeting with Industries Department officials, and asked for fixing the responsibility and taking action against erring officials.

Subsequently, the department found that the reply to the un-starred question was put by assistant Sandeep Kumar and it was reviewed by senior manager Bablesh Kumar Sharma. Both were employed in the BIPP.

The explanation of the erring officials was called on April 8. They submitted their replies the next day.

In the May 31 action-taken report (ATR) submitted by Vijayendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, to the Speaker, it was mentioned that the replies were found unsatisfactory.

“Considering the gravity of the mistake committed by them and lack of devotion to the duty, the Industries and Commerce Department has dispensed with their services and two officials have been terminated with effect from May 11…,” stated the report.

“It is a big development. The credit goes to the Speaker. The executive should take the House seriously and sincerely,” said Congress MLA Chaudhary.

WERE FROM INDUSTRIES DEPT

• During the winter session last year, Mullana MLA Varun Chaudhary had asked an un-starred question on projects of tool room or technology centres
• n reply, the Industries Department had submitted that two projects of tool room were set up at the IMT in Rohtak & Saha
• Later, the MLA submitted the areas earmarked for the tool room in the Industrial Growth Centre, Saha, was “lying vacant”