Delhi govt suspends 3 officials for corruption

The three officials of the Delhi Transport Department — Deputy Commissioner (auto-rickshaw unit) Roy Biswas, inspector Manish Puri, and Anil Yadav, a clerk — were placed under suspension with immediate effect after a high-level meeting, chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday morning.

“Three officials of transport department being suspended. Corruption in issuing fresh letter of interests for 3-wheelers,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted.

Delhi Transport minister Gopal Rai said he received some complaints on Wednesday about irregularities in issuance of Letter of Intents (LOIs) to auto drivers at Burari Authority of Transport Department.

“I held a meeting with Joint Commissioner (Transport) and other senior officers on the next day, and issued directions to inquire into the matter,” he said.

Kejriwal received an SMS from some auto-rickshaw drivers regarding certain irregularities in distribution of Letters of Interest on Friday evening, following which he called up Gopal Rai and came to know that the matter had been already brought to his notice.

The Chief Minister convened a meeting with his Cabinet ministers and senior government officials on Saturday, leading to suspension of the three officials.

The transport minister had made preliminary enquiries in which two kinds of irregularities were revealed — the LOIs were issued on pick-and-choose basis despite orders to follow chronological order and the LOIs were being handed over to certain intermediaries/unauthorised persons instead of the beneficiaries/applicants.