NEW DELHI: In a strong message to officials that no irregularity or corruption will be tolerated, lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Friday enhanced the punishment of a “compulsorily retired” officer and “dismissed” him for fraudulently registering 57 sale deeds of government and gram sabha land in favour of private persons during his tenure as sub-registrar of Geeta Colony in east Delhi.According to officials, Harish Bajaj, a Grade-I Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services (DASS)-cadre officer, had illegally registered 106 instruments during 2015-16 in violation of rules, regulations and instructions issued by the revenue department with “mala fide intentions and financial quid pro quo”. Of these 106 instruments, 57 were related to government, gram sabha land and parcels, either acquired or notified for acquisition.Bajaj was compulsorily retired from services in 2020 for misconduct and for acts of omission and commission, but he filed an appeal. He was posted as deputy secretary in the labour department when action was taken against him. “Disposing the case of appeal against an order of the government that had ‘compulsorily retired’ Bajaj from service for the acts of commission and omission on his part, the LG observed that the ‘penalty of compulsory retirement’ is grossly disproportionate,” said an official.The order stated that “Harish Bajaj, deputy secretary (labour department), is liable to be held responsible for gross dereliction in discharge of his duties and responsibilities and for proven misconduct, the ends of justice would be met by imposing an appropriate major penalty, and therefore, proposed to enhance the penalty to dismissal from service”. Dismissal entails that the officer loses his retirement benefits, said an official.According to officials, Bajaj, in his appeal to the LG, the appellate authority in such matters, had not denied having registered the said lands in the names of private persons, but contended that he performed his duties under Registration Act 1908. As per Rule 42 of the Act, a sub-registrar has nothing to do with the ‘title of land’ and is under no obligation to verify it before registering the sale deed. “The LG, however, ruled that the averments of Bajaj were misleading and he had blatantly disregarded government orders and circulars,” said an official.According to a January 2007 order of the revenue department, no fresh instrument of transfer, including general power of attorney, in relation to government land, which includes acquired land and the one notified under Section 4 and 6 of Land Acquisition Act, 1894, shall be registered without the compliance of Delhi Land (restriction on transfer) Act, 1972. “Bajaj violated the aforementioned provisions and registered 57 instruments pertaining to government land without even obtaining the status report of the land from the competent authority, that is, ADM (East), as prescribed vide order dated 25.08.2006,” the official added.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/officer-forced-to-retire-appeals-to-lg-is-dismissed/articleshow/97383816.cms