A separate relieving order to be issued soon, says sources in Govt
After a week, when the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India on May 20, ordered shifting of six IAS and IPS officers of AGMUT Cadre, including two IAS from J&K, the Jammu and Kashmir Government on Friday striped off, under transfer officers of officials’ duties, they were discharging till date.
Two IAS officers from J&K, Naveen Kumar Choudhry working Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Department J&K and M Raju was holding the charge of administrative secretary Mining Department, after an administrative reshuffling on 5th May 2022. Naveen Kumar Choudhary has been shifted to Mizoram and M Raju has been shifted to Arunachal Pradesh by the Union Home Ministry.
Principal Secretary General Administration Department, Manoj K Dwivedi has been assigned additional charge of Health and Medial Education, while Amit Sharma Secretary ARI and Training Department will hold additional charge of Secretary Mining Department. MHA’s order came a month after CBI raided Naveen Choudhry official residence on 21st April, 2022. “Naveen Choudhry is a friend ex Finance Minister of J&K Government, Haseeb A Drabu and had served as Principal Secretary Finance Department. But after August 2019, when the Central Government scrapped down special status of J&K under Article 370. New government headed by first LG JK UT, GC Murmu’s administration referred a case against Choudhary the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The Murmu administration had recovered Rs 39.69 lakh from Choudhary, he allegedly took from J&K Bank and recommended a probe into his alleged illegal monetary benefits.
Meanwhile, within days after the Jammu and Kashmir government approached the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the bribe allegation of former Governor Satya Pal Malik, India’s premier investigative agency on April 21 conducted searches at 14 locations, across the country, in connection with the charges. The CBI has registered two cases in the matter. The agency has booked Anil Ambani’s Reliance General Insurance Company and officials of Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL), among others, in the two cases. CBI conducted raids at the residences of senior IAS officer of Jammu and Kashmir Navin Choudhary, former officers of Chenab Valley Projects Construction Limited and a construction company in Jammu, New Delhi, Bihar, and Mumbai. Naveen Choudhary is presently serving as Principal Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir. Raids were conducted in Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, Trivandrum (Kerala), and Darbhanga (Bihar) at the premises of the accused including private companies, then Chairman, then MD, then Directors of CVPPPL.
M Raju had skipped high-power committee (HPC) meeting headed by the then Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, now the Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta.The Chairperson of the then HPC Dr Arunn Kumar Mehta expressed displeasure as the members of the committee could not reach the venue and time of the scheduled meeting. Thirteenth High which was scheduled to be held under the chairmanship of Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department in his office chambers at 144 Floor, Civil Secretariat, Jammu on 12 of January, 2021 at 3 pm was cancelled by the chairperson of the committee.
The meeting was cancelled by the Financial Commissioner, Finance Department (Chairman of the Committee) due to nonparticipation of the Administrative Secretary, Jal Shakti Department (Member HPC) and Administrative Secretary, Planning Development and Monitoring Department (Member HPC) in the meeting. JKIDFC High Powered Committee meetings shall not be attended by representatives and this may be duly noted to the committee members, who have not attended the meeting on the said date and time. As such the proceedings of the meeting could not be held and the projects related to the Youth Services & Sports Department could not be discussed. The Chairman of the Committee conveyed that the projects of Youth Services & Sports shall be deliberated by the HPC in its next meeting, the date and time will be conveyed separately.
A recently promoted Executive Engineer of PHE, now Jal Shakti from Chief Office Jammu has reportedly very close relation with the outgoing Commissioner Secretary M Raju. The Executive Engineer Jal Shakti, is also under ACB’s radar for his disproportionate assets, had been reportedly running the affairs of department. The ACB had initiated property assessment against M Raju’s trusted lieutenant. Recently the Chief Secretary J&K Dr Arun Kumar Mehta has reportedly snubbed M Raju for his poor performance, sources said.
