Chandigarh: This Saturday, Haryana House minister Anil Vij made headlines by calling the Kaithal SP on the telephone from his Janta Darbar in Ambala and asking, “Band kar doon thana kya predominant? (ought to I shut the police station?).” Vij was reacting to a video a 27-year-old lady complainant confirmed him through the darbar which featured a person accused of duping her of Rs 25 lakh having tea with cops at Pundari police station in Kaithal district. He went on to direct the SP to droop the personnel within the video.
In one other case he heard on the identical darbar, the minister gave instructions to droop a police official in Panipat on the fees of demanding a bribe from ambulance drivers.
Regardless of dropping two of his portfolios just lately, Vij is constant along with his fast motion on complaints reaching him by means of his Janta Darbars, suspending officers and police personnel.
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Crusader minister?
A retired senior bureaucrat stated to ThePrint, “There isn’t any denying that Vij was essentially the most senior BJP chief when Manohar Lal Khattar was picked by the get together’s prime management to go the federal government in Haryana in 2014.
Since then, he has been attempting to make his presence felt by means of such actions, inflicting embarrassment to the CM. A few of his suspension orders could also be proper, however many instances, he’s seen taking motion after listening to just one facet of the story. However since he’s a really senior chief, even the CM appears helpless.”
Retired Haryana cadre IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam informed ThePrint that although suspension per se will not be a punishment, it causes loads of embarrassment and humiliation to the official involved. He stated whether or not an worker must be suspended or not relies on the character of the cost towards them.
“If the cost is of such a nature that, if confirmed, it may possibly result in a significant punishment, together with dismissal from the service, solely then an worker is suspended. The aim of suspending an worker is to stop them from tampering with the proof. Suspending individuals at one’s whims is totally uncalled for,” he added.
ThePrint tried reaching out to Vij on the telephone however the minister didn’t take the calls. This story will probably be up to date if the minister responds.
Suspensions galore
Final Friday, Vij suspended two officers whereas listening to complaints on the Public Relations and Grievance Committee assembly at Hisar. He additionally ordered the suspension of the assistant registrar of cooperative society and a naib tehsildar. The complainant had alleged that the proprietor of the Hisar Scholar Housing Constructing Society had dedicated fraud with a number of individuals by promoting the identical plot to 2 or extra individuals. He alleged that whereas the society proprietor was lacking, the financial offences cell of the Hisar police was but to file a challan after the Assistant Registrar (AR) of Cooperative Societies received an FIR registered. When the investigating officer knowledgeable the minister that he had sought society data from the AR however had not heard from the latter, Vij ordered the AR’s suspension.
Likewise, he suspended a naib tehsildar in an alleged land fraud case for not checking paperwork rigorously earlier than registry of the plot.
Vij is thought to return down closely on officers towards whom he receives complaints throughout his darbars, and that is how he has functioned since 2014, when he joined the state cupboard.
In 2015, Vij climbed onto the roof of Haryana Civil Secretariat to test whether or not water being provided was clear and directed the involved officers to take samples.
In 2019, Vij even reinstated a suspended lady ASI. Whereas on his strategy to Delhi in December that yr, Vij suspended the ASI in Panipat as she was absent from obligation throughout one in all his raids. However when she informed him that she had gone to her home to make use of the washroom because the police station didn’t have a separate bathroom for ladies personnel, Vij instantly revoked her suspension and ordered the development of separate bathrooms for ladies in police stations throughout the state.
In February final yr, Vij ordered the suspension of your complete employees posted on the Sukhpura test publish in Rohtak for not registering a grievance filed by an advocate, in response to a report. Later, when the personnel claimed the fees had been baseless, the minister ordered an inquiry.
In October 2022, Vij carried out a shock inspection of the municipal council workplace in Ambala Sadar and suspended 4 officers on grievance of irregularities. That very same month, he ordered the suspension of two police personnel and the shifting of two station home officers in two separate circumstances, stated one other report.
On February 22, 2022, Vij directed Panipat SP to droop eight cops posted in that district whereas listening to the general public’s grievances at Ambala. Vij referred to as for the suspension when Panipat resident Hira Lal Ahuja alleged that the eight cops – an inspector, a sub inspector, an assistant sub inspector, and 5 others posted at Chandni Bagh police station of Panipat – kidnapped his son Raj Kumar Ahuja from the court docket complicated and demanded ransom.
A suspension will not be a punishment. As retired IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam identified, “An inquiry begins and usually, the suspension is revoked inside a month or so. However that it causes embarrassment to the officers involved additionally can’t be denied.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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