Action against revenue officials led to transfer: Gurgaon officer

Senior IAS officer Pradeep Kasni Tuesday said that action against top Gurgaon revenue officials and his remark on the working of three Gurgaon collectors may be the reason behind his transfer.

After he sent his report Dec 22 to the state government about revenue officials of the Millennium City colluding with land-grabbers, Gurgaon Division Commissioner Pradeep Kasni was transferred Monday evening.

In his report to Chief Secretary P.K. Gupta, he highlighted how government land worth crores of rupees 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".

Taking a stern stand, Kasni took away all judicial/quasi-judicial powers and functions of Gurgaon District Revenue Officer Purushottam Sharma and debarred Tarsem Sharma, another revenue official, from functioning.

The commissioner also ordered an FIR against the then tehsildar Rajiv Sharma and two others, who had sanctioned the mutations in 2011.

Kasni said he was doing his duty and simply highlighted how some officials had aided the land mafia.

The decision to hike the compensation to farmers, costing the state government Rs.500 crore, was approved by the cabinet, Kasni said.

On the other hand, a spokesperson of PWD Minister Rao Narbir Singh told IANS that Kasni was transferred because he was not performing his duty well.