Himachal seeks time to shift 'tainted' officials

The Himachal Pradesh government Monday sought time to shift over 40 government functionaries of doubtful integrity from sensitive posts.

Seeking more time from the state high court, the government, in an affidavit, said: "The process is on for shifting 43 officers of doubtful integrity, who are posted in sensitive posts, to non-sensitive posts."

A division bench comprising Justices Kuldip Singh and D.C. Chaudhary will now hear the matter Dec 2.

Earlier, a division bench of Chief Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh directed the chief secretary to file an affidavit listing the names of "tainted" officials and their postings.

Expressing displeasure about the inaction of the secretaries of the departments concerned in not furnishing information to the chief secretary on whether the posting of tainted officers to sensitive posts was with the concurrence and approval of the highest authority, the bench in its last hearing of Nov 14 directed the secretaries to furnish the information that day (Nov 14).

The secretaries who have been told to furnish such information include those belonging to the departments of personnel, non-conventional energy sources, urban development, public works, industries, excise and taxation, revenue, home, irrigation and public health, horticulture and forests.

The high court order comes on the plea of former drug controller Sher Singh Thakur. He appealed to the court against the state, seeking that departmental proceedings against him be set aside after he was convicted June 2011 for corruption.

The court later widened the scope of the matter to address the basic issue of tainted officers in sensitive posts.