Kejriwal Recommends Immediate Suspension of Chief Secretary to LG After Land Acquisition Inquiry
Published on: November 16, 2023.
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New Delhi Chief Secretary Accused of Corruption in Land Acquisition Matter
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has received a report from the vigilance minister, Atishi, alleging the “prima facie complicity” of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar in a land acquisition matter in Bamnoli village. The report, submitted on Tuesday, recommends Kumar’s removal from his post due to alleged corruption in the acquisition of 19 acres of land in South West Delhi. Kejriwal has instructed the vigilance minister to send the report to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as well.
According to the report, the compensation for the land acquisition was increased from Rs 41 crore to Rs 353 crore. However, the report claims that the “scale of undue benefits” in the deal was over Rs 897 crore. Chief Secretary Kumar has denied any wrongdoing and has called the allegations against him “mudslinging” by individuals with vested interests who have faced vigilance action in corruption cases.
The vigilance minister’s report was the result of an inquiry into a complaint that alleged Chief Secretary Kumar’s son was employed by a person who was a relative of the landowners who benefited from the Bamnoli deal.
The original award for the 19-acre land in Bamnoli, which was being acquired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), was increased from ₹41 crore to ₹353 crore in May of this year by Hemant Kumar, the then district magistrate of South West Delhi. Hemant Kumar was subsequently suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs in connection with this matter.
In a press conference on Monday, Delhi government Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar stated that the allegations against Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar are baseless and are part of “dirty politics.”
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