The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD panel seeks promotion of `tainted' official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD panel seeks promotion of `tainted' official

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 8. The Scheduled Caste Welfare Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has recommended promotion of a senior official against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation has lodged a case of possessing disproportionate assets to his income.

A resolution passed in this regard by the SC Welfare Committee on July 15 is most likely to come up for discussion at the MCD House meeting here on Monday. In its resolution, the Committee recommended the retrospective promotion of Ashok Kumar, presently posted as a Deputy Commissioner, first on the reserved post of Assistant Commissioner with effect from August 13, 1985, and then as Additional Commissioner in the civic body.

One of the senior most SC officials in the MCD and said to be having close political connections, Mr. Kumar is facing charges of having assets "disproportionate" to his known sources of income. The CBI has filed a First Information Report against Mr. Kumar and has recommended to the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, that he be suspended. Said to be very popular among the "safai karamcharis", the MCD so far has not suspended him.

The SC Welfare Committee resolution alleged that the argument was that the promotion of Mr. Kumar was held up because he was a Scheduled Caste despite being "eligible" for it. On the other hand several non-SC employees of his rank including Asa Nand, Mohammad Kalim and P. C. Gupta were promoted to the Assistant Commissioner against the reserved posts "illegally" without getting the vacancies "dereserved" in accordance with the prescribed rules.

"These promotions were totally irregular and were contrary to the instructions issued by the Government of India," it said.

Arguing that this was injustice against humanity, law and rules, the resolution said it is regretful that Mr. Kumar has been tolerating injustice for the past 20 years and thus recommended to the MCD to promote him to Additional Commissioner based on his seniority.

It is most likely that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party would be expressing its strong views against the resolution and demand immediate suspension of Ashok Kumar as per the directions of the CBI.

The view of the ruling Congress, which in the past had been delaying initiating action against him is not known and is likely to be taken only at the Congress Councillors Party meeting before the House meeting at Town Hall on Monday. If the proposal gets through, Mr. Kumar would become one of the senior most officials in the MCD.

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