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

Uprighht Survey officials find the going tough

Despite attempts to bring in transparency in the survey department, many of the senior officials, including additional director who is second in command and who had taken severe steps against corrupt officials is being made a scapegoat under political pressure.

With pressure mounting from the various unions against some of the officials, especially additional director E R Sobhana, the revenue department is known to have decided to give the charge of the additional director to a joint director. It is alleged that the decision has been taken without looking into the complaints that have been raised against the additional director but only on certain political pressure. Apart from this, the sources said that the move was also alleged to scuttle the survey inspection of Karuna estate. Sobhana has been given the charge of the survey of the estate after the government constituted a team to trace the excess and illegally possessed land with the Karuna Estate at Nelliyampathy.

Moreover, sources said that the official who is now being given the charge had been involved in many controversies. The survey vigilance unit had earlier recommended for suspending and even demoting this official who is now being handed over the charge. As many as five cases are also pending with the survey vigilance unit against the official, highly placed sources said.

It is known that the Chief Minister had written in a file that was forwarded to the revenue department for taking necessary action on the complaint. This was also confirmed by Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, who earlier said that the CM had asked to take necessary decision on the complaint that has been raised against the additional director. However, he did not divulge more on the issue.

As part of streamlining the survey department, the additional director had transferred certain people who were siting idle for years at the directorate to other offices, which is alleged to have led certain union leaders to come forward against the additional director.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/459838/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-03-2015#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

Resurvey Proceedings: Govt to Probe Discrepancies

The #government has decided to probe into all the discrepancies cropped up in the inquiry conducted by the #Survey Regional Joint Director (Northern Region), who had undergone suspension many times, with respect to the re-survey proceedings in #Thrissur #district. The investigation by the #revenue #department will look into if the report had been prepared by suppressing the actual facts and merely targetted at some officials.

Stating that several complaints have been raised against the report of the Regional Joint Director (RJD), Revenue Minister #Adoor #Prakash said that an official in the Revenue department will probe all the discrepancies. He also said that the investigation would also look into all aspects of the report.

The Express had earlier reported that the inquiry report of the #RJD was not based on any relevant facts and was targetted at #Survey #Additional #Director E R #Sobhana, who had taken several steps against corrupt officials.

When asked if the probe will look into reports that a top official pending inquiry in the #Kadakampally #Land #scam had purposefully endorsed the name of RJD K Surendran for the investigation, Prakash said that everything will come under the purview of the investigation. There were allegations that when a complaint received by the Chief Minister's office was forwarded to the Survey Directorate, it was handled by Section A that only dealt with transfers and leave. Even though a a clerk in that Section had noted in the file that the letter should be forwarded to the Vigilance section, it is alleged that the official mentioned earlier had recommended Surendran's name even without looking into his past history. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.dinamani.com/310720/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/26-07-2014#page/4/1