By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand government has appointed two investigating officers to initiate a departmental inquiry against two suspended IAS and one PCS officers in connection with an alleged land scam worth Rs 54 crore in Haridwar, officials said on Saturday.
The then Haridwar District Magistrate, Karmendra Singh, the then Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary, and the then Sub-District Magistrate, Ajayveer Singh, who were found prima facie guilty in the investigation into the alleged land purchase scam in Haridwar’s Sarai village, were suspended on June 3 this year on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
A total of 10 officers were suspended in the case, while the service extensions of two personnel were terminated.
According to an order issued by the Home Department, based on the prima facie involvement in the case, a charge sheet was issued against Ajayveer Singh after he was given an opportunity to present his side of the story. Singh denied all allegations in his written response dated September 16. According to the order, IAS officer Anand Srivastava has now been appointed as the investigating officer against Singh to ensure a fair investigation. Srivastva has been directed to submit an investigation report within a month.
IAS officer Sachin Kurve has been appointed as the investigating officer against two other officials allegedly involved in the case—Karmendra Singh and Varun Chaudhary.
In this regard, Chief Minister Dhami stated that the state government is firmly pursuing a policy of zero tolerance towards corruption and irregularities. He said, “ensuring transparency and accountability in governance is our top priority. Strict action will be taken if irregularities are found at any level, regardless of the official’s rank.”
The Haridwar Municipal Corporation’s purchase of 2.30 hectares of unsuitable and inexpensive agricultural land located near a garbage dump in Sarai village for Rs 54 crore, more than three and a half times the market price, created a stir across the state.
The preliminary investigation found that there was neither a genuine need for the land nor a transparent bidding process. Furthermore, the land purchase was conducted in a suspicious manner, bypassing clear government rules.
In addition to suspending the officials, the Chief Minister also issued strict instructions to cancel the sale deeds related to the land scam and ensure the recovery of the money paid to the landowners.