Lokayukta seeks government sanction to prosecute IAS Raghav Chandra

Published in Dainik Bhaskar on October 21

The Lokayukta has sought sanction to prosecute Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Raghav Chandra.

The case against him pertains to a land scam in Katni. Chandra was then posted as Madhya Pradesh Housing Board Commissioner.

The then collector Shahzad Khan is also named an accused in the case. The scam pertains to a 69 acre land that was meant for a housing project in Katni.

The deal had caused a loss of Rs 4 crore to the state exchequer. It was alleged that exorbitant prices were paid for the land and many other guidelines were also violated in the purchase of land. The Lokayukta had investigated case. In the closure report, the ombudsman had given him clean chit.

But the court disagreed with the decision. The complainant Arun Kumar Agarwal then approached higher courts until Supreme Court struck down the HC order and upheld the trial court which had asked Lokayukta to seek prosecution sanction against the officer and all the others named in the FIR.

Income Tax raid at Sagar Group: BMC Commissioner, former DGP to be quizzed!

A report published in Daink Bhaskar

The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Manish Singh and a former Director General of Police could be quizzed by Income Tax officials after the recent raids at the Sagar group in Bhopal.

During the raid, IT team had found documents that showed investments by Manish Singh and his wife Anuranjana Singh into the group.

After they found evidences, the officials could be summoned. The AlCTE has also been initimiated and asked to de-recognize the colleges run by the group.

The group that is largely into real estate and education had claimed relaxations from tax but it was found that it had violated several provisions. The raids were conducted at 10 premises of the group in Bhopal. Apart from Manish Singh, former state police chief AN Singh may also be questioned.

The Congress has demanded action against BMC officer. Former Mayor Sunil Sood has said that he had earlier also raised the issue of misappropriation and misconduct on part of the BMC commissioner. But minister Babulal Gour seems to have given a clean-chit to the officer.

Do caste-based lobbies really work in administration in Madhya Pradesh?

Do caste lobbies really work or it is just a perception in the casteist society?

In UP, it is more common for newspapers to publish reports about Thakur lobby, Kayastha group or Pandits power going up or down in a department. Now in Madhya Pradesh also we are seeing this trend.

Sometimes it is just a coincidence that a head of department and a few more officials in senior positions share the same caste or surname, and journalists draw this conclusion.

One can't deny that there is a possibility though of sometimes a lobby getting stronger in this way. However, it is wrong only if this lobby helps particular group of people or is biased in favour of some, at the expense of others.

In Europe, America and Middle East, caste is no issue. As Hinduism is the only religion which has institutionalized the 'varna vyavastha', this style of journalim can't be found in newspapers elsewhere. On the left is a report in Sandhya Prakash, the evening paper's diary column, 'Mantrayala Ajkal'.

It  is a diary item that says the 'Lala lobby dominates'. The Lala word here means Kayasthas particularly those with surnames like Saxena, Srivastava, Nigam, Mathur, Kulshreshtha, Asthana and Khare amongst few others. The paper says that the Punjabi lobby has lost out to Kayasthas.

As Kayasthas were traditionally more educated than others and learning was given importance in their households, their percentage in government jobs was always much higher than other castes. Similar is the case of Brahmins also.

If there are more Shrivastavas in district administration, State government departments and police, it is understandable. This is the sort of 'chatkhare-daar' news that is read with delight and chuckle in bureaucratic circles, as wells as the general reader.

Of course, there are regional lobbies also like Bihari lobby or North Indian-South Indian lobby. So once again we are back to the same question. Does it affect working in the bureaucratic circles or creates a nexus or caucus to favour particular group.

What's your view!