By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
After taking stern actions against many government employees, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday reiterated his government’s resolve to continue the fight against corruption and said no one would be spared.
“If any officer or employee is negligent towards his responsibilities and duties, or found involved in corruption, he or she will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against such erring employees and officers.” Dhami said at a function in Tharali area in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
Dhami’s statement came a day after the suspension of four top PWD engineers who were linked to the collapse of a bailey bridge in Tharali area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand.
In what is seen as one of the biggest actions against corruption since the formation of Uttarakhand, Dhami on Tuesday ordered suspension of two IAS officers along with eight others in the Haridwar land scam. A total of 10 officers, including two IAS officers were suspended in this case. Besides, the jobs of two government officers, who were given extension, were also terminated.
After questions were raised on the purchase of 2.3070 hectares of land located near the garbage dump in Gram Sarai by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation (HMC) for Rs 54 crore when its original cost was only Rs 15 crore, the Chief Minister Dhami had ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Ranveer Singh Chauhan, an IAS officer, conducted a preliminary investigation in the matter and submitted the report to the government on May 29. The inquiry report found that the cost of the land was artificially raised by changing its land-use from agriculture to commercial.
On the basis of this investigation report, the Chief Minister ordered immediate action against the guilty officers.
Commenting on the issue, the Chief Minister made it clear that his government wants to develop a new work culture in the state which is corruption-free. “Our government has made it clear from the very first day that in public service, accountability is important. No matter how senior a person is, if he disregards public interest and rules, action is certain. We want to develop a new corruption-free work culture in Uttarakhand. All public servants will have to live up to its standards,” Chief Minister Dhami said.
Last month, Sub-Inspector Devesh Khugshal was arrested after he was caught red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh in Dehradun.
Meanwhile, many social workers and prominent citizens have lauded Dhami for his offensive against corruption. “The corruption is a big menace and should be eradicated from our society. We welcome any such step by the government against corruption,” said Harsh Pati Uniyal, former Chief General Manager (CJM) of the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS).