Jhansi, January 4: Additional Chief Officer (ACO) of District Panchayat Jhansi, Ashutosh Kumar, was found guilty in the investigation in the case of illegal cancellation of the contract for collection of mineral transportation fee. Now, he has been suspended by the government after irregularities were revealed in the probe.
AMO District Panchayat had complained about irregularities in the Tehbazari contract on behalf of Sharma Associates. After this, Garautha MLA Jawahar Lal Rajput had raised this matter at the government level. After this, in the investigation conducted, the Additional Chief Officer has been suspended and attached to the headquarters on the recommendation of the Governor.
In the District Panchayat Jhansi, a complaint of irregularities in the contract for collection of mineral transportation fee in the financial year 2024-25 was made by Sharma Associates, an organization that got the contract for 1 year in March 2024.
Along with this, Garautha MLA Jawahar Lal Rajput also complained to the government about financial irregularities by cancelling the contract against the rules by ACO District Panchayat Jhansi. After the complaint, the Chief Secretary had asked the Divisional Commissioner Jhansi to investigate the matter and take action.
In the investigation of the three-member committee constituted by the Divisional Commissioner, the allegation of illegal cancellation of the contract for recovery of mineral transportation fee issued in favor of e-tenderer contractor M/s Sharma Associates without providing him an opportunity to be heard by Ashutosh Kumar, Additional Chief Officer, District Panchayat, Jhansi was found to be correct.
On the day of cancellation of the contract, on October 21 , 2024, AMO Ashutosh Kumar was found guilty of prima facie financial irregularity by approving the contract in favor of firm Tejaswi Enterprises and issuing the contract letter. Approval has been given by the Governor to suspend him with immediate effect under Rule-33 of Uttar Pradesh District Panchayat Service Rules, 1970. During the suspension period, Ashutosh Kumar will be attached to the office of the Director, Panchayati Raj Lucknow.
In the probe committee constituted by Jhansi Commissioner, it was clearly seen that after the mineral transportation Tehbazari contract was issued, it was cancelled by ignoring the rules and irregularities were committed by giving the contract to another firm in a hurry and issuing recovery orders.
It was also found in the investigation that never before this, the contract was cancelled in this manner without giving a chance to the contractor firm. In the contracts issued earlier, the recovery amount has been found to have been deposited through several installments. Whereas after the contract given to Sharma Associates, serious financial irregularities were committed by issuing the mining transportation Tehbazari contract to Tejaswi Enterprises without giving a chance of hearing.
The government took the matter seriously and by suspending the AMO and taking action, it has set an example for other careless officers to learn from it.
