Gurgaon: Days after MCG initiated disciplinary action against an executive engineer for alleged irregularities in the operations of mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs), Haryana urban local bodies (ULB) department on Wednesday suspended him. The inquiry, conducted by additional commissioner Yash Jaluka, had found that the handover process of the sweeping machines was not backed by adequate physical verification of machines and their components.More seriously, there were no proper written handover/taking-over records or certification documenting the actual condition of the machinery. According to the probe, these machines were allegedly transferred without the elementary documentation and verification expected in the management of municipal assets. A senior MCG official told TOI, “The ULB commissioner and secretary has suspended executive engineer Sunder Sheoran on the recommendations of MCG. His suspension is also attributed to certain C&D waste management issues raised in the grievance meeting chaired by the CM today (Wednesday).”The inquiry identified four major areas of alleged negligence attributable to Sheoran. First, the physical handover and taking-over process lacked adequate verification of the machines and their components. Second, proper written records and certification of the condition of the machines were not maintained. Third, supervision was found inadequate to ensure that municipal assets were properly accounted for and safeguarded. Fourth, appropriate action for penalties and recovery of repair costs from the outgoing agency was allegedly not demonstrably taken.A letter recommending major-penalty proceedings under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016, was sent by the civic body to the ULB department, Haryana, on Oct 30. Rule 7 provides the framework for imposing major penalties on govt employees, including reduction in rank or pay, compulsory retirement, removal from service and dismissal, subject to the prescribed disciplinary procedure.Significantly, the letter along with the inquiry report sent by the MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya to the ULB department specifically referred to two TOI news reports published on Oct 16 and Oct 29. The reports had exposed machines lying idle, poor deployment and glaring shortfalls in road-sweeping operations. The inquiry has taken cognizance of these reports and recommended verification of their findings against GPS records, logbooks and field inspection reports.MCG had issued a work order for 20 machines on Sept 26 and another for five machines on Aug 12. Sheoran was the officer in charge of the work during the relevant period. The commissioner had entrusted the inquiry to Jaluka, who conducted the investigation on Oct 27 and submitted his report on Oct 28. The concerned executive engineer and representatives of the agency also participated in the inquiry.
