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Show Cause notice served to IAS officer who quit over Kashmir issue

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Show Cause notice served to IAS officer who quit over Kashmir issue

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a show cause notice to IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who resigned citing violation of fundamental rights in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the people of the Valley have to be convinced on Article 370, but it cannot be done by not allowing them to express their views.

Kannan Gopinathan quit the government job on August 21, alleging there was a denial of “fundamental rights” to lakhs of people in Jammu and Kashmir for weeks which disturbed him enough to put in his resignation papers.

“I want to exercise my freedom of expression but it is not possible while I am in the service. There are certain rules and regulations in that,” he said on Sunday (August 25). Gopinathan, who hails from Kottayam District of Kerala, said that to abrogate Article 370 “is the right of an elected government”, but in a democracy the people have the right to respond to such decisions.

 “If you ask me what you were doing, when one of the world’s largest democracies announced a ban on the entire state, and even violated the fundamental rights of the people, I should at least be able to reply that I resigned from my job,” he said in the interview.

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However, according to Media reports, the IAS officer was issued a show cause for the act of omission and commission for misconduct in July by Rakesh Kumar Singh, undersecretary of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The two-page show cause memorandum cited five reasons for proposed disciplinary action against the officer. The notice includes his visit to his home state Kerala in the wake of the massive flood in September 2018 where he carried out selfless work in the relief activity discreetly. The Ministry alleged that the officer failed to submit any report on his return.

The preparation of nominations for Prime Minister’s Award under various categories for innovations in public administration was another reason for the show cause. The Centre alleged that he failed to comply on the said directions.

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The IAS officer was asked to answer to the advisor in the next ten days of the show cause notice.

However, the officer also told India Today TV that his decision to quit was not on account of the MHA memorandum but his decision to standby fundamental rights of Kashmir.

On Sunday (August 25), Kannan Gopinathan wrote to the administration and denied the disobedience and negligence of duty charges against him by Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli UT administration. The IAS officer refuted the charges of insubordination, dereliction of duty and dilatory tactics stating that he had performed his duties diligently and to the best of his abilities.

“At the outset, I would like to respectfully but out rightly refute the charges made therein of insubordination, dereliction of duty, dilatory tactics etc. It is submitted that I have been performing my duties diligently and to the best of my abilities. That I have been honest and committed to my duties is borne by the fact that Hon’ble Administrator gave 9.95 out of 10.0 on 24 Dec 2018 for my APAR of 2017-2018. The same was accepted by respected Union Home Secretary as the accepting authority,” Kannan Gopinathan wrote in the reply.

Gopinathan also said he received memos over reasons like not applying for the Prime Minister’s excellence awards, which he said he did after getting directions to do so. Another memo asked for a summary of what he did when he had volunteered for flood relief work in Kerala in 2018. 

“These memos were so frivolous and flimsy, they disturbed me. But it’s nothing out of the ordinary in service life. I have been serving in some crucial roles even at a time when I gave my resignation. And I felt there are larger issues that need to be raised,” Gopinathan told media personnel.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, when Gopinathan was the returning officer, the Chief Electoral Officer had ordered the administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a Union Territory, to withdraw a controversial notice which he had issued to Gopinathan and sought an explanation from the officer.

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Kannan Gopinathan was a 2012 batch IAS officer from Kerala. He was posted in Dadra and Nagar Haveli as Power and Non-Conventional Energy Secretary.

On being asked what his plans are, Gopinathan said, “I have no idea about what will I do as of now.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

ED raids Punjab Congress leaders Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Sangat Singh Giljian in forest scam linked money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate asserted that during the search operations, various incriminating documents, mobile phones/digital devices have been seized

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The Enforcement Directorate recently conducted raids against two former Punjab forest ministers and Congress leaders Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sangat Singh Giljian and others in relation to an alleged forest-scam linked money laundering investigation.  

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Enforcement Directorate said that its investigation pertains to charges of bribery in the state forest department against the issuance of a permit for tree felling and for transfer and posting in the department, among some other allegations. 

The ED raids were carried out on November 30 in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi at the residential premises of Dharamsot, Giljian, their associates, forest officers and some private individuals. The agency reportedly searched fourteen locations under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Congress leader Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, has been a five-time MLA and he was arrested earlier this year by the Punjab Vigilance bureau as part of a case linked to alleged possession of disproportionate assets. In his three-year tenure as forest minister, Dharamsot collected ₹1 crore in lieu of issuance of permits for cutting khair trees through his OSD. Sangat Singh Giljian has been an MLA from the Urmar seat in Hoshiarpur district.

The Enforcement Directorate said that the money laundering case was filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and stems from an FIR of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

The nodal agency mentioned that the first information report pertains to alleged irregularities in the forest department and allegations of taking bribes by the concerned ministers and officers of the department against the issuance of permits for felling of Khair trees, transfer/posting in the department, issuance of NOC from the department and purchase of tree guards.

In addition, the Enforcement Directorate asserted that during the search operations, various incriminating documents, mobile phones/digital devices have been seized which, prima facie, reveal suspicious transactions involving persons who are under investigation. 

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Jharkhand government puts hospitals on alert amid respiratory infection outbreak in China

The district administration are also asked to assess the availability of oxygen and the supply chain for refilling along with other necessary equipment.

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Amid a respiratory infection outbreak in China, the Jharkhand government has put its hospitals on alert, directing them for surveillance, preventive measures and testing of respiratory illness. The additional chief secretary of health Arun Kumar Singh directed the district administrations to remain prepared and keep a continuous vigil on the situation.  

In a letter to the district magistrate, Arun Kumar Singh stated that in view of the recently reported surge in respiratory illness, particularly in children in Northern China, in the recent weeks, there is an urgent need to keep a constant vigil, monitor trends of cases and quickly respond to any emerging public health. He added that considering the ongoing influenza, there might be an increase in respiratory illness cases.

He mentioned that this is predominantly attributed to usual causes like Influenza strain (H1N1/H3N2/H5N1/H9N2 etc.), mycoplasma pneumonia, SARS-CoV-2, etc. He further remarked that in order to reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases along with the current scenario of unusual causes of respiratory diseases in children or any unexpected clinical manifestations, there is a need to increase the surveillance and remain vigilant and to monitor the continuously changing nature of the virus, including respiratory pathogen (H1N1, H3N2 etc) and evolution of SARS CoV-2 variants.

The additional chief secretary of health further directed the officials to strengthen the flu and respiratory clinics in the medical colleges, district hospitals, and health centres. He asserted that the departments of microbiology at RIMS-Ranchi and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College in Jamshedpur have been made sentinel sites for sending the suspected samples.    

Reportedly, the district administrations have also been asked to ascertain that the health facilities, including private hospitals, report all suspected cases. In addition, they were also asked to assess the availability of oxygen and the supply chain for refilling along with other necessary equipment. The district administrations were also asked to ensure mock drills for emergency circumstances, as per the officials.

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Tensions rise at Sagar Dam as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana clash over drinking water

On Thursday when Telangana officials were busy with elections, about 700 Andhra Pradesh Policemen stormed into the project and opened the right canal to release 500 cusecs of Krishna water per hour.

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As Telangana was getting ready for election, Andhra Pradesh took control of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and began releasing water, leading tensions to rise between the two states. On Thursday when Telangana officials were busy with elections, about 700 Andhra Pradesh Policemen stormed into the project and opened the right canal to release 500 cusecs of Krishna water per hour.

Andhra Pradesh state irrigation minister Ambati Rambabu took to X(formerly Twitter) and wrote they are releasing water from Nagarjunasagar right canal on Krishna river for the drinking water purposes. But the minister made a clarification that they had only taken water that they have only taken water that belongs to the state and it is in accordance to the treaty between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Talking to the media Rambabu said they had not flouted any treaty. He said 66% of Krishna water belongs to Andhra Pradesh and 34% to Telangana. He said they had not used a single drop of water that did not belong to them. He said they had tried to open their canal in their territory. He further added this water was rightfully theirs.

As tensions started rising, the central government has stepped in and urged both states to revert to the release of Nagarjuna Sagar waters as of November 28. The proposal was made by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla during a video conference with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both the states have agreed to the plan.

In order to ensure no further conflict takes place, the dam will be under the supervision of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) which will also oversee that both the states are getting water as per the deal. Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari had alleged that 500 armed Andhra Pradesh policemen came to Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and released about cusecs of water by opening the head regulators located at gate number 5 and 7. They even damaged the CCTV cameras.

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