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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
RERA office being shifted to Dharamshala: HP govt in HC affidavit
The state government on Monday told the Himachal Pradesh high court through an affidavit that the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office was being shifted to Dharamshala to congest Shimla, and it needed time to complete the formalities. The affidavit was submitted by principal secretary (housing) Devesh Kumar to the division bench of chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Ranjan Sharma during resumed hearing of a petition challenging a six-month extension granted to chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, filed by one Atul Sharma. The court had questioned the government on the delay in appointments of the RERA chairperson and two members. The case will now be heard on June 20. HC issues notice to CS Saxena The high court issued notice to Saxena. The petitioner contended that the extension was given in violation of the Central Services Rules and guidelines of department of personnel and training (DoPT). The petitioner argued that vigilance clearance can't be granted to an officer who is nominated in a corruption case. The petition pointed out that a chargesheet had been filed before Saxena was granted the extension, Saxena was chargesheeted in the infamous INX Media scam, in which then Union finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti are also named as accused. Saxena served as the director of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) between April 2008 and July 2010. Saxena was considered frontrunner for the RERA chairperson post, but the selection committee, headed by the high court chief justice, had raised objection to his candidature.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Appointment of RERA chief and 2 members: Plan to relocate RERA office delayed notification, Himachal tells HC
The Himachal government, through an affidavit, on Thursday informed the high court that delay in the notification for appointment of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) chairperson as well as two members was due to government's plan to relocate RERA office in Shimla to another location. The state government filed an affidavit through under secretary (housing) by Vikram Datt Dangwal in the high court on Thursday. 'The matter is under consideration on account of state government's ongoing deliberation regarding proposed relocation of HP RERA office within Shimla city to another location. The final decision on the appointment is likely to align with outcome of the administrative consideration,' said the state government through the affidavit. High court on May 9 had sought affidavit from state government asking 'Specific reason that the state has withheld the recommendations of the selection committee.' Denying any kind of 'intentional or undue' delay, the government said that the final authority regarding appointment is state government. The recommendation of selection committee were forwarded to state government through housing minister on March 20. Unconvinced by the reasons regarding delay in issue of the notification the HC had sought a fresh affidavit. The case is now listed for May 26. The high court on Thursday was hearing the petition filed by Atul Sharma, seeking quashing of extension given to Prabodh Saxena as chief secretary of the state government on the ground that it was given in clear violation of the Central Services Rules and guidelines of Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT). The petition argued that vigilance clearance cannot be granted to an officer who is an accused in a corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
5 months on RERA sans chief; Himachal HC seeks response from state govt
Five months on, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) of Himachal Pradesh remains without a head as the state government has failed to issue a notification regarding the appointment of its chief and members despite the completion of selection process. Taking cognisance of the issue, the Himachal Pradesh high court has sought affidavit from state government, asking 'specific reason that the state has withheld the recommendations of the selection committee.' 'Keeping in view the larger public interest, if the appointment has not been notified, affidavit be filed as to why it has not been done and what is the specific reason that the state has withheld the recommendations of the selection committee,' said the division bench comprising chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Ranjan Sharma on May 9, while directing the state government to file an affidavit on May 15. This comes on the petition filed by Atul Sharma, seeking quashing of extension given to Prabodh Saxena as chief secretary of the state government on the ground that it was given in clear violation of the Central Services Rules and guidelines of department of personnel & training. The petition argued that vigilance clearance cannot be granted to an officer who is an accused in a corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Saxena was considered front runner for the post of RERA chairperson which had fallen vacant in December last year after retirement of then chairperson Shrikant Baldi. Sources in the government said that the selection committee for the RERA posts, headed by the HP high court chief justice, and the secretary (urban development), and the secretary (law) are its members, had raised objection to Saxena's candidature in wake of the pending case. Saxena faces chargesheet in the infamous INX Media scam, in which then Union finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti are also named as accused. Saxena, between April 2008 and July 2010, served as the director of the department of economic affairs (DEA), which housed the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) that was responsible for approving Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals. The chargesheet in this case has been filed and is pending before the court. The 1990 batch IAS officer, Saxena, who is considered 'close' to chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was appointed chief secretary on January 1, 2023. Saxena had started as a sub-divisional officer in Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and went on to become the deputy commissioner of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, where he gained valuable experience in land revenue management and district administration. He served in the Union ministry of finance between 2008 and 2013. In 2013, he was appointed senior advisor to the executive director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, the Philippines, a post he went on to serve till 2016. The latest bill controversy Saxena had come under criticism for passing on the bill amounting to ₹1.22 lakh of a get-together to the government. He had organised a gathering at Holiday Home of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) property on March 14. The event was attended by around 75 people, including over 20 IAS officers, their spouses and children, and 22 drivers, who were also served lunch. The HPTDC forwarded the bill of ₹1.22 lakh to the general administration department (GAD) for payment. The copy of the bill was circulated on social media. The Bharatiya Janata Party had raised questions. BJP MLA Bikram Singh in a statement had said: 'It is clear that this is a gross violation of democratic spirit, ethical conduct and administrative decorum. When the state is in debt of ₹1 lakh crore, then such events show that the government and bureaucracy have no concern with the problems of the common people.'
