Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 24 (ANI): In a major administrative reshuffle, the Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday ordered the transfer of 10 administrative officers and gave the additional charge of several departments to two IAS officers with immediate effect.

Guwahati Dec 28 PTI Drones will be deployed to map unsurveyed inhabited areas in Bodoland Territorial Region BTR as the exercise will enable authorities to modernise its land record system and provide documents to inhabitants for utilising the resource as a financial asset An official release said a tripartite MoU to extend SVAMITVA Survey of Villages And Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas Scheme to BTR was signed among Bodoland Territorial Council BTC the Assam government and the Survey of India on Tuesday The agreement was signed by Gyanendra Dev Tripathi Director of Land Records and Surveys Assam Shantanu Gotmare Principal Secretary BTC and Ch Venkateswara Rao Director Assam Nagaland GDC in the presence of several top officials The survey by drones will be followed by generation of GIS map to enable detailed spatial database of property with a view to providing property cards to owners for leveraging land as a financial asset the release said Sunil Kumar Secretary Ministry of Panchayati Raj emphasised the need for technology-driven mainstreaming of land administration in Sixth Schedule areas and hoped that it would pave the way for bringing all other autonomous councils within the ambit of the scheme He also underscored that local customary land laws shall be respected while implementing the project Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua said it would be a path-breaking step for clear ownership of land and urged all stakeholders to work in close collaboration The principal secretary of BTC Shantanu Gotmare said the unsurveyed areas would now be mapped and it would be an impetus to modernise the land record management system in BTR PTI SSG MM MM

Srinagar Oct 28 PTI Cracking the whip on corrupt employees the Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday ordered premature retirement of eight officials including the Mission Director of the Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan RUSA official sources said The employees include four Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service JKAS officers who were booked in corruption cases in the past they said The employees were given premature retirement from service under Article 226 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations The action reflects the zero tolerance policy of the administration led by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha against corruption According to Article 226 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations the government in the public interest may retire an employee after completion of 22 years of qualifying service or attaining 48 years of age All the eight employees including RUSA Mission Director Ravinder Kumar Bhat JKAS have been given premature retirement on charges of corruption and misconduct an official said According to officials Bhat was facing charges of corruption during his posting in different departments The then vigilance department which is now Anti Corruption Bureau had registered a corruption case against him in 2015 the officials said They said as the then Assistant Commissioner Revenue Budgam Bhat was allegedly involved in irregular transfer of state land under the Roshni Scheme and arbitrarily fixed the price of land lower than the prevailing market rate of the area incorrect application of rates unauthorized change of classification of land from residential to agriculture The officer while acting in league with the beneficiaries inflicted huge monetary loss to the government the officials said adding sanction for prosecution was accorded against him in October 2019 The officer was also involved in another corruption case during his posting as a Director of Rural Development Department they said adding he has allegedly made huge procurement without following the tendering process A joint surprise check by ACB had revealed his malpractices the officials said They said the officer is also involved in cases related to embezzlement which inter-alia casts doubt on the functioning of the officer and his abilities with regard to dealing with financial responsibilities Another officer given premature retirement on charges of corruption and misconduct is Regional Director Survey and Land Records Srinagar Mohammad Qasim Wani JKAS the officials said adding he as District Programme Officer Integrated Child Development Services ICDS Kupwara had procured substandard material on highly exorbitant rates for ICDS project An FIR under prevention of corruption act was filed against Wani and sanction for prosecution was accorded by the government in his case in 2020 the officials said They said a charge sheet has been filed against him by ACB before a trial court The officials said Wani had purchased huge properties in the name of his wife He has made fortune by misusing his official position clearly indicating his doubtful integrity Deputy Secretary ARI Training Department Noor Alam has also been compulsorily retired after scrutiny of corruption cases against him the officials said During his posting in different departments Alam amassed huge wealth misusing his official position they said They said ACB had registered a case against Alam in 2019 to investigate his illegal assets and subsequently attached four of his properties in Jammu which included a house and three plots of land Apart from these assets he had raised various other properties in the name of his wife and other family members and also owns several vehicles including commercial vehicles the officials said JKAS officer Mohd Mujib Ur Rehman Ghassi who has been prematurely retired is currently under suspension the officials said They said Ghassi during his tenure in the Cooperative department had facilitated a loan amount of Rs 223 crore in favour of a non-existent cooperative society The remaining officers who have been retired prematurely are former block medical officer of Beerwah Fayaz Ahmad Banday junior assistant in Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department Ghulam Mohiuddin Junior Assistant Rakesh Kumar Pargal and store keeper Parshotam Kumar PTI SKL SMN SMN

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 28 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday sacked 8 tainted employees under Article 226 (2) of the Jammu Kashmir Civil Service Regulations on charges of corruption and misconduct.