3 years on, regular CVO appointed in Local Govt Dept

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, November 3

Over three-and-a-half years after coming to power in the state, the Congress government has finally appointed Chief Engineer Rajiv Sekhri as the regular Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in the Local Government Department.

Sekhri’s appointment was cleared by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh from a list of three officers sent by Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra. The other two in the race were Rajesh Chopra, Superintending Engineer, and Atul Sharma, Superintending Engineer-cum-Deputy Chief Vigilance Officer, who was given the additional charge of the CVO in April.

The appointment of a regular CVO has been pending in the department since the formation of the Congress government. During the tenure of previous Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Cdr Sudip Malik (retd) was appointed the CVOs but the appointment was never regularised by the government.

He resigned after Sidhu resigned from the state Cabinet.

For the appointment of a regular CVO, as per the Vigilance Commission guidelines, a panel of three names has to be sent by the department to the Chief Secretary, before it is approved by the Chief Minister.

The role of the CVO in the department will be crucial as the previous CVO had recommended punitive action against department officials in several cases of alleged irregularities in checking illegal construction and in the tendering process for civil works.