Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, December 29

Two days after his report to the state government revealed how revenue officials of the Millennium City were hand-in-glove with land-grabbers, Gurgaon Division Commissioner Pradeep Kasni has been transferred.

Kasni’s posting orders will be issued later. Till then, Rohtak Division Commissioner Rajeev Ranjan has been given additional charge of Gurgaon Division.

The senior IAS officer said he did not know the official reason of his transfer. “I am equally surprised as I was doing my duty and simply highlighted how some officials had aided the land mafia. If I was wrong at any point, I should have been chargesheeted rather than being transferred just a month after my joining,” he said. Kasni was transferred to the city with an aim to curtail land scams.

Kasni’s report recently submitted to Chief Secretary PK Gupta Kasni highlighted how government land worth crores in Harsaru village was illegally transferred to private companies three years ago. He brought officials under the scanner, claiming it was a case of a “malignant conspiratorial gang-up in the office of the Collector in favour of the land mafia and maybe to subserve one’s own narrow selfish interests, for which these officials hanker after and manipulate their postings to such lucrative posts”.

The report said though the officials got to know that the mutations of eight acres in six land deals was sanctioned in violation of Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, the order was not taken back. In fact, officials sought to fraudulently transfer the title of highly-valuable government land to private firms and companies.

Taking a stern stand, Kasni took away all judicial/quasi-judicial powers and functions of Gurgaon District Revenue Officer Purushottam Sharma and debarred two more revenue officials from functioning. The commissioner had also ordered an FIR against then tehsildar Rajiv Sharma, who had sanctioned the mutations in 2011.

According to the report, Sharma — while wrongfully sanctioning the mutations — not only caused huge pecuniary loss to the state, but also misrepresented facts. He is presently posted in Palwal.

‘I was doing my duty’

I am surprised as I was doing my duty and simply highlighted how some officials had aided the land mafia. If I was wrong at any point, I should have been chargesheeted rather than being transferred just a month after my joiningRs

Pradeep Kasni, IAS officer