Top Gujarat PSU fails to find irregularities against "rough-and-tough" non-IAS babu, compensates

Atanu Chakraborty, JN Singh, AK Vijay Kumar

By A Representative
The three-year old tug-of-war between AK Vijay Kumar, a non-IAS babu known for his rough-and-tough ways, and Atanu Chakraborty, a Gujarat cadre industry-friendly IAS bureaucrat, has come to an end following intervention by Gujarat chief secretary JN Singh and two other bureaucrats.
Kumar, who previously served the now defunct PSU Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) is currently special officer, industries, Government of Kerala, and official on special duty, investment promotion, Government of Andhra Pradesh on a "pro-bono basis" in Delhi. Chakroborty, ex-MD, GSPC, a former boss of Kumar, is secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Government of India.
Things heated up in 2015-16, say sources, after Chakraborty “compulsorily" retired Kumar from GSPC on the basis of a five month discrepancy over the latter's birth date. This was "backed up" with an FIR filed with the Gandhinagar police accusing Kumar of "irregularities" worth Rs 5.33 lakh for purchase of food and miscellaneous office expenses spread over five years at the GSPC's Delhi office, where Kumar had represented the PSU.
Asserting that it was meant to settle scores over a scuffle dating back to 1997, Kumar went to the Gujarat High Court to quash the FIR. Claiming the FIR was filed on the basis of a private audit and CAG didn't find anything irregular, Kumar's petition said, “The complainant had directly approached the local district police in furtherance of mala fide intentions to harass the petitioners by implicating them in a criminal offence."
Meanwhile, an additional DG-level topcop was resportedly sent to the village where Kumar was born to ascertain his "exact" birth date.
Known for his excellent rapport with top officials when Narendra Modi was Gujarat chief minister, "helping" him become the first non-IAS official from the corporate sector to become special investment commissioner of the Gujarat government in 2011, Kumar has now got a major reprieve.
The state government accepted his version of birth date, paying him five months' salary. The FIR, which was transferred to CID crime, has been quashed following submission of “A summary” report to the court, as "no evidence" was found against Kumar. The court cases have been also withdrawn.
The settlement, say sources, has been reached at the intervention of JN Singh, Gujarat chief secretary, who also happens to be chairman, GSPC, MM Srivastava, former additional chief secretary, finance, currently serving as chairman, Gujarat State Petronet Ltd (a GSPC subsidiary), and T Natarajan, MD, GSPC.

Comments

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

What happens when cricket is turned into 'dharmayudh' between India and others

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* India ‘lost’ the World Cup. Winning or losing is part of the game, but what happens when the game becomes part of the political propaganda and the audiences are not sports lovers but fans who hate others? An Uttar Pradesh daily gave a headline for the final game as ‘dharmyudh’. The game of cricket is being used for political purpose. As cricket is a powerful business in the country, every non-playing dignitary in the game earns much bigger sum than the player.

Adani Group declares it will "self-finance" Australian coal mining project: Traditional group registers fresh opposition

By A Representative The controversial Adani Group's Carmichael coal mine and rail project in Queensland, Australia, will be "100% financed" through the Group’s own resources, Adani, Mining CEO Lucas Dow has said. A South Asia Times, Melbourne, report has quoted Dow as saying in Queensland, “We have already invested $3.3 billion in Adani’s Australian businesses, which is a clear demonstration of our capacity to deliver a financing solution for the revised scope of the mine and rail project." Dow Pointing out that "the project stacks up both environmentally and financially", he added, "Today’s announcement removes any doubt as to the project stacking up financially... The Carmichael Project will deliver more than 1,500 direct jobs on the mine and rail projects during the initial ramp-up and construction phase, and will support thousands more indirect jobs, all of which will benefit regional Queensland communities.” The project faces fierce opposition ...

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

46% retailers don't know non-woven bags offered aren't eco-friendly alternative: Study

By A Representative A new study 'Environmental illusion: The non-woven bag' by the Delhi-based advocacy organisation Toxics Link, has sought to bust the myth that non-woven (NW) bags are an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags. The study reveals that they are nothing but polypropylene (a form of plastic).

Budgam by-poll to decide if National Conference still holds the ground in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi “Zoun ho Zoun ho, PDP’an Zoun ho” — the chant echoes through the streets of Budgam as election fever grips the district. Despite the dipping temperatures, people continue to gather at late-night rallies with enthusiasm. The slogan gained popularity during the 2024 assembly elections when People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, while campaigning, inadvertently mispronounced it as “Zoon ho Zoon ho,” a moment that went viral and has since become a fixture in local political rallies.

Himalaya disasters result of developmental paradigm being pursued in India today

By Shankar Sharma* Yet another study report on the man made disasters in Himalayas has made serious observations on the kind of developmental paradigm being adopted in the region. It should not take any rocket science for anyone to take a stand that it is not just Himalayas which need a diligent and careful review of the kind of developmental paradigm being pursued, but the entire country is in dire need of it; especially in eco-sensitive regions such as Western Ghats, other forested areas, coastal areas, river basins, fertile agricultural lands etc. A high GDP growth rate paradigm as being pursued by the state and central governments can only bring more of such disasters all over the country sooner or later. In the context of multiple disasters striking many parts of the country with ever increasing frequency, it should become clear that our country's developmental approach has not been consistent with the geography, climate and critical needs of our people; nor are we learni...

Search This Blog