Corruption case against former Health director, commissioner

The Lokayukta police have registered case against former Health Director Dr Yogiraj Sharma and six other officers for the Rs 12 crore fraud in purchase of medicines.

Other than Sharma, former Commissioner Rajesh Rajora is also an accused in the case. The drug kits were purchased through supplier Ashok Nanda in 2005-2006. It was found that some officers had forced the government to pay Rs 11.99 crore more than the required amount that ought to have been paid.

The Laghu Udyog Nigam (LUN) officers' role had also come under suspicion and were allegedly in collusion with health department officers. A complaint had alleged that the drug kit was purchased under the National Rural Health Mission scheme but fraudulently advance payment was made to Malwa Drug House, a firm, in violation of rules. Rajora is these days posted in Revenue Board at Gwalior.

Lokayukta raid at Deputy Director's houses unearths crores

The Lokayukta police conducted raids at the houses of Urban Administration Department's Deputy Director Ashok Sharma and recovered property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The raids at Ujjain, Indore and Bhopal unearthed assets worth over Rs 2 crore. Sharma is posted in Ujjain and has house in Indore also. His family lives in Indore. In Bhopal he owns house in Gulmohar Colony in Shahpura.

His houses in Mahananda Nagar in Ujjain and Indore's Vijay Nagar were searched. Jewellery, investiments, insurance policies and cars were found in the raids in three cities. Two of Sharma's children study in America and Singapore.

he raids of Lokayukta, Income Tax, CBI and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in state prove that a large number of government officials and employees have induldged in large-scale corruption, as it has become a norm to seize crores in almost every raid.

Avani Vaish is Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh

Ending speculation for weeks, the state government made it clear that Avani Vaish would be the next chief civil servant of Madhya Pradesh.

He will take charge from Rakesh Sahni. Vaish, a 1975 batch officer of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), was on deputation in New Delhi. His wife is also an IAS officer.

Earlier, names of Sumit Bose, Alka Sirohi, Prashant Mehta, OP Rawat and Satya Prakash were doing the rounds. But Shivraj Singh Chouhan chose Vaish over others, in process superseding several officers.

Vaish came to Bhopal on Wednesday and met the Chief Minister. Avni Vaish's wife Anshu is also an IAS officer, presently posted in HRD ministry in Delhi. Outgoing CS Rakesh Sahni is retiring on January 31.

Though Chief Secretary is an important post, local newspapers gave an impression as it a Chief Minister was getting appointed. The post was glorified and an unprecedented hype created over the selection of the next CS of the state.

Who will be the next top babu of Madhya Pradesh?

The Chief Secretary, who is the top public servant or the head of all government employees, holds an important post in the administration. Speculations are rife as to who would take over after Rakesh Sahni's retirement.

Names of Sumit Bose and Alka Sirohi were making the rounds. Bose is not too keen on returning to the state. Sirohi is not very popular but her meeting with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has suggested that she is a strong contender.

Prashant Meha should have been ahead in the race as he is neither arrogant, nor impractical. But there is a lobby against him. There are other contenders inlcluding Ranjana Chaudhary, Avani Vaishya, Satya Prakash and OP Rawat.

As per seniority, Sandeep Khanna and SC Wardhan should have been among the contenders. They are due for retirement in coming months. In the coming days, the picture would be clear whether MP will have another woman appointed at the post of Chief Secretary.