Political pressure lands survey official out

With political pressure mounting from various service organisations, a senior official in the survey department, who is second in command, has been shifted from the post, stating that she is not eligible for the post. It was the same government that gave E R Sobhana a provisional promotion in 2012 taking into consideration her administrative skills. 

And the strange thing is that the government, allegedly under pressure from the service organisations, had given charge of the additional director to a deputy director against whom the vigilance had recommended suspension and even demoting him on various allegations. 

It is alleged that Sobhana was removed from the post as she had been taking stern action against corrupt officials, especially joint/deputy directors and even district survey officials, which has now agitated the service organissations. She even transferred certain people who were siting idle for years at the directorate to other offices, which is alleged to have angered certain union leaders.

As per the government order dated April 4, 2015, it is said that ''some service organisations have represented to government requesting to review the appointment of Sobhana as additional director''. It said that there was no provision in the Special rules of Survey and land records department to promote a person directly to the post pf Additional Director from deputy director in the absence of qualified persons in the cadre of Joint Director. It also said that Sobhana was not eligible for provisional promotion as per rule 31 a (i) of Kerala State & Subordinate Service Rules and as such her appointment was cancelled.

It should be noted that the government in its order dated September 20, 2012, had given provisional promotion to her evoking rule 9 a (i) of the same Kerala State & Subordinate Service Rules. Apart from this, the 2012 order states that she was being given promotion as the two joint directors could not be given promotion as several vigilance inquires were pending against them and were facing action. It also said that one of the joint directors was facing criminal charges at the Peroorkada police station. Sobhana was given promotion as the post was lying vacant from 2000 and the activities of the department was affected. Moreover, the seniority and promotion list in some of the sections are pending for a long time that had led the government to take such a step.

Source: The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/473534/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/06-04-2015#page/5/1

Misuse of power: Govt mum on survey officials

Despite reports of large-scale misappropriation in survey measurement, providing titles deeds and guarding public land, especially in the Idukki district, the government is maintaining silence, alleged to political and other pressures. Even the Deputy Director's report on the issue is learned to have gone missing from the Directorate of Survey and Land Records. 

The deputy Survey directors in various districts have been sending reports pertaining to the misuse of  powers by the various survey officials, especially the district superintendents. However, no action has yet been taken on the reports that has led to widespread corruption.

In the reports, a few of which are with Express, widespread irregularities are noticed. A report of the Deputy Director with regard to the Survey Superintendentof Idukki K Jayakumar, it has been pointed out that the official had misused his powers. Most of the irregularities were found in the files dealing with conversion of land, title deeds and measurements of the land. After inspecting the files from two Taluks of Udumbanchola and Devikulam, the Deputy Director has reported on widespread irregularities, which the government is yet to act upon. 

It is also alleged that most of the reports of the Deputy Directors go missing when reaching the Directorate's office. It is only after months that the respective reports reach the respective official, which is aimed at delaying the whole process. However,  Survey and Land Records Department director Mitra T refuted all these allegations, stating that no reports have gone missing. ''With respect to the recent report on the Idukki Survey Superintendent and reports from other districts, an inquiry will be conducted.  We have taken the issue very seriously and action will be taken once the inquiry is over,'' she said. 

Source: The newindian Express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/429705/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/02-02-2015#page/4/1