Jaipur, Aug 6 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, on Wednesday, approved a series of strict disciplinary action against several government officials facing allegations of corruption and misconduct.

In a major decision, the Chief Minister has approved the compulsory retirement of nine police inspectors found guilty of serious lapses during their service.

These Police Inspectors had a history of tainted records, with multiple charges and departmental inquiries pending against them.

A high-level committee conducted a comprehensive review of these Police Inspectors, examining their working style, performance, integrity, departmental records, and annual confidential reports.

Based on the findings, the State Home Department recommended their forced retirement.

The Chief Minister gave his final approval to remove them from service, aiming to uphold discipline and integrity within the police force.

In another significant move, disciplinary proceedings have been approved against an IAS officer accused of illegally allotting land in violation of established rules.

The Chief Minister has granted permission to initiate action under Rule 8 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, highlighting the state government’s commitment to transparency and accountability at the highest administrative levels.

He has approved prosecution against six state service officers involved in corruption cases, allowing the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to proceed with legal action.

Additionally, two Rajasthan Administrative Service and Accounts Service officers will face detailed investigations under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Taking disciplinary measures beyond active service, Chief Minister Sharma has also decided to withhold the annual increments of 13 officers under Rule 16, and in a strong message to retired officials, pension benefits of five retired officers have been stopped.

In one of these cases, the entire pension has been withheld following proven corruption charges.

Moreover, the Chief Minister has disposed of several appeal and review cases.

He rejected a review petition filed under CCA Rule-34, upholding the original decision.

Appeals under CCA Rule-23 were accepted in three cases and partially accepted in two others.

These decisions reflect the state government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and its ongoing effort to strengthen governance through strict accountability measures, officials said.

–IANS

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