Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma put Mount Abu nagar palika commissioner Ram Kishore on awaiting posting order (APO), as his commitment to zero tolerance to corruption.
Sharma was on a visit to Mount Abu where he received complaints about the working of commissioner Mount Abu.
There have been complaints of issuing fake NoCs, fake patta and illegal recovery on entry of dumper in restricted areas of Mount Abu.
The chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma put him immediately on APO and handed over charge of commissioner to SDM Gaurav Ravindra Salunkhe. The chief minister has asked SDM to investigate corruption charges during tenure of Ram Kishore and submit report within 15 days.
Salunkhe is a 2021 batch IAS officer and this is his first posting after training. He had joined last month only.
Corruption charges levied on Ram Kishore previously also
In past also, there had been charges of corruption against Ram Kishore, a Rajasthan Municipal Service (RMS) officer. He had also been put on APO two times over corruption charges. Kishore had been known for irregularities but no punitive action has been initiated against him expect putting him on APO twice.
“Apart from commissioner Ram Kishore, other staff members are also said to be indulged in corrupt practices. It will be revealed after thorough investigation,” said an official.
Charges of corruption
Since Mount Abu falls in eco sensitive zones, there are many activities which are restricted in the area. Since, large number of activities require permission including any kind of construction, the scope of corruption increases with restriction. Whether it's entry of trucks, dumpers and construction material, the commissioner Ram Kishore has been allegedly involved in corruption. There have been cases of bribery against issuance of patta and NoCs.
“Ram Kishore has been infamous for his conduct. We complained to chief minister about his deeds and CM Sahab immediately put him on APO and constituted investigation committee,” said Rameshwar Dayal, a resident of Mount Abu.
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