Haryana government has suspended Sandeep Taneja, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Water Resources Department with immediate effect for alleged laxity in taking flood control measures.
The Governor of Haryana is pleased to place the services of Sandeep Taneja, Chief Engineer, YWS (S), Delhi, Irrigation & Water Resources Department under suspension with immediate effect.
During the suspension period, his Head quarter is fixed at Irrigation & Water Resources Department in Haryana.
During the period of suspension, Sandeep Taneja, Chief Engineer, YWS (S), Delhi will be entitled to subsistence allowance under rules 83 and 84 of the Haryana Civil Services (General) Rules, 2016 subject to the condition that he will produce a certificate that he is no doing any other service, private business, profession or vocation during the period of his suspension.
Further, the competent authority has decided to chargesheet under rule-7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016.
In July, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar formed a two-member fact-finding committee to look into the jamming of the gates of Delhi’s ITO barrage.
"This committee was formed to investigate the matter of jamming of four gates of ITO Yamuna barrage during floods," the state government said in a statement.
Chief Engineer of the irrigation department Sandeep Taneja has been suspended while orders have been issued to chargesheet the department’s SE (superintending engineer) Tarun Aggarwal, XEN (executive engineer) Manoj Kumar and Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Mukesh Verma, posted at Yamuna Barrage, it said.
Notably, the 32 gates at the ITO barrage, a 552-metre barrage on Yamuna river, are under the control of the Haryana irrigation department.
The AAP dispensation in Delhi had last month alleged that the gates of the ITO barrage in the national capital maintained by the Haryana government had jammed due to silt accumulation and had suggested that its maintenance should be handed over to the Delhi government for more efficient management.
The issue had witnessed a counterattack from the BJP-led dispensation in Haryana.
Amid AAP's allegations on the issue, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had last month said unauthorised construction on Yamuna blocked the water flow and due to the silt in it, the water level rose.
AAP alleged that the state released 11 lakh cusecs of water into Yamuna, which is baseless, Khattar had said.
Meanwhile, the state government's statement on Wednesday said due to heavy rains last month, a significant surge in Yamuna level was witnessed and due to the non-opening of four gates of the barrage near ITO in Delhi, excess water could not be cleared in time causing massive waterlogging and floods.
With inputs from PTI
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