Uttarakhand CM orders probe after IAS officer goes missing over alleged tender irregularities

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has ordered an investigation over a state minister's allegations who stated that a senior IAS officer was missing from his office.

Women Welfare and Child Development Minister Rekha Arya had written to the Dehradun DIG that V Shanmugam, additional secretary at her department, was “missing” since September 20. Others said that he has applied for leave and was under home quarantine.

In a letter written to CM Rawat, Ms Arya has feared if the officer had been kidnapped as she could not reach him for two full days.

Arya also alleged that the IAS officer "may have also gone underground to save himself from the irregularities found in the ongoing recruitment process in her department".

Media coordinator of the CM, Darshan Singh Rawat, confirmed the development and said, “The CM ordered the inquiry in the whole matter after speaking to chief secretary (CS) Om Prakash on Thursday evening.”

Additional chief secretary Manisha Panwar will oversee the inquiry.

“As per the directions, I have started the inquiry. However, I cannot reveal the details of it before the media and would submit the inquiry report only to the CS (chief secretary),” Panwar told reporters.

Earlier, Arya had also written to the department secretary accusing fraud in the tender process due to negligence by Shanmugam.

She has also alleged that officer did not turn up even after multiple attempts by her to meet him.

Meanwhile, secretary women empowerment and child development department, said that Shanmugam had "applied for leave before going under home quarantine. "

“He had applied for leave as per the operational procedure before going under home quarantine citing health grounds,” she mentioned.