Afroz Alam Sahil for BeyondHeadlines
Congress party might have saved Pavan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister for Railways in the scam where his nephew Vijay Bansal is alleged to have received 90 lakh for helping Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, who has been suspended, to get a better position. Congress may save him but the charges of corruption are not going to leave him. Chief Scientist in the CSIR- National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), Hyderabad, Shakeel Ahmad has accused Pavan Kumar Bansal of favouring illegally Sushil Gupta for the post of Chairman, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), when Pavan Kumar Bansal was the Minister of Water Resources (MOWR).
Shakeel Ahmad says “The entire processing was completed in 2 days to stop the interview. In two days the file was seen and signed by the minister two times, while this was not at all an emergency case. The file was signed on 19th July, 2012 and was sent to UPSC the same day at 05.30 pm”. As the result of this request by the Ministry for Water Resources, UPSC cancelled the personal talk with Shakeel Ahmad which was scheduled on 20th July, 2012.
The facts of the case are that Shakeel Ahmad was found only suitable candidate for the post of Chairman, Central Ground Water Board among all the candidates who applied for the post of chairman and as such he was called for a personal talk at UPSC, New Delhi on 20th July, 2012. But on the request by Ministry of Water Resources this personal talk was called off by UPSC.
The period during which all this illegality was being committed is the period when the Ministry of Water Resources is headed by Pavan Kumar Bansal. The whole process of appointing the present Chairman Sushil Gupta shows that Ministry for Water Resources took extra interest in Sushil Gupta’s appointment. Shakeel Ahmad says that “Shri Bansal has made another favour to Sushil Gupta by making him the acting chairman. There has been instance in the CGWB that on superannuation of the Chairman, Joint Secretary (MOWR) has taken the charge pending the appointment. Why in this case JS-MOWR was not given the charge knowing that Sushil Gupta is neither eligible nor qualified to that post. This is again a favour to Sushil Gupta by Shri Pavan Kumar Bansal”.
Shakeel Ahmad filed a case challenging the appointment of Sushil Gupta and Delhi High Court directed the Ministry concerned to consider Shakeel Ahmad’s representation in two weeks but “Inspite of Honble High Court of Delhi in our case has passed the judgment to consider and complete our representation in two weeks time but MOWR has not done that. Even when the DoPT has rejected the case and declined the relaxation, what interest MOWR has to send the file for reconsideration. Since there was absolutely no material change in the case then on what ground MOWR has sent the file to DOPT again. Is it that MOWR always sends all files again for reconsideration once they are not approved?” says Shakeel Ahmad.
Actually the Central Ground Water Board took extra interest in the appointment of Sushil Gupta. Previously the Ministry of Water Resources itself rejected the representation of Sushil Gupta for being appointed as the Chairman as he was found to be ineligible. So, now in order to make him eligible the Board sent the proposals for relaxation in service conditions to DoPT which it rejected. The Board again sent the proposal to DoPT for relaxation in service conditions, which was now accepted by DoPT.
All this shows that there have been manipulation in the appointment of present Chairman, Sushil Gupta and the Ministry of Water Resources took extra interest in his appointment. Now, it rest on Pavan Kumar Bansal to clarify these charges. But everything is not good about Pavan Kumar Bansal’s style of functioning. The question is why there are charges of influencing the appointments or bettering the prospects of some persons at the cost of others, wherever Pavan Kumar Bansal works in the government. Has Congress party some interest in public probity, if yes, then it must ask the government to prove these charges against Pavan Kumar Bansal. Country is watching your activities…. so act before it is too late.
For more details please read our earlier story on this issue at: Manipulation and Fraud to Favour a Person in Ministry of Water Resource
