Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government has assigned new responsibilities to two officials who were suspended in connection with the Haridwar land scam case. They include Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Karmendra Singh and Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer Ajayveer. Action was taken at the government level after their names surfaced in the Haridwar land purchase case.
According to an order issued by the government, IAS officer Karmendra Singh has been appointed Additional Secretary, Women Welfare and Child Development. PCS officer Ajayveer has been appointed Executive Officer of the sugarcane-sugar mill located in Doiwala. Both officers had been waiting for new postings for a long time.
During the investigation into the Haridwar land scam, action against both officers had been recommended. Subsequently, the government suspended them. Now, their suspensions have been revoked and they have been given new responsibilities.
The Haridwar land purchase case began in September 2024. The Haridwar Municipal Corporation had initiated the process of purchasing land in Sarai village for waste disposal. It was alleged that after the land-use category was changed from agricultural to commercial, its value increased, following which the Municipal Corporation purchased the land.
It was alleged that the price of the land was increased with the intention of benefiting private individuals. As the investigation progressed, action was taken against several officials, including IAS and PCS officers, as well as officials from various departments.
In the same case, the government has also recommended the dismissal of IAS officer Varun Chaudhary, who was the then Municipal Commissioner of Haridwar Municipal Corporation. Following investigations at various levels, recommendations for action against the officials were made. The government has now revoked the suspension of Karmendra Singh and Ajayveer and assigned them new postings.
