Delhi Vigilance Minister Atishi has recommended the immediate removal of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and another senior bureaucrat, Ashwani Kumar, in connection with an alleged land scam involving the compensation for a piece of land in Bamnoli village. The land was acquired by the National Highways Authority of India for the Dwarka Expressway, and the preliminary 670-page report alleges Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar's complicity in enhancing the compensation to benefit a company linked to his son, according to media reports.
Atishi's report suggests a conspiracy by senior officers of Delhi's Vigilance Department to undervalue the scam, estimating it at Rs 312 crore when the actual compensation would have resulted in an illicit gain of Rs 850 crore. The minister emphasized the need to seize relevant files to prevent tampering or destruction of evidence. Atishi recommended disciplinary proceedings against the accused and urged the report to be forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive review.
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In response, Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar defended Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, dismissing the allegations as baseless and part of "dirty politics." He asserted that there is no direct link between the landowners and the chief secretary and attributed the accusations to an attempt to tarnish the Chief Secretary's image, particularly in light of his efforts to expose irregularities in various ministries of the Delhi government.
The controversy surrounding the alleged land scam has taken a political turn, with Atishi's report prompting a strong defense from Ashwani Kumar, who claims that Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar's character is being unjustly assassinated due to his commitment to uncovering the truth in various government ministries. The situation underscores the complexities and political implications surrounding the investigation, raising questions about transparency and accountability in government affairs.
