Two senior IAS officers, who were suspended for failing to enforce lockdown rules near Anand Vihar bus terminal at the peak of the Covid pandemic in March this year, were reinstated and given new postings on Friday.
Renu Sharma, a 1988 batch officer, has been posted as additional chief secretary in the urban development department and will also be discharging duties as Director-local bodies.
1992-batch officer Rajiv Verma has been posted as principal secretary in the vigilance department. He will also be handling the additional charge as the chairperson of DSSSB, said the order issued by the government.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in March this year had suspended these two officers and one official in the transport department for failing to ensure public health standards and strict compliance of orders. In March, migrant workers had gathered at Anand Vihar Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) situated at the Delhi-UP border in hopes of getting a ride to return to their native places.
According to the MHA, the officials failed to control the crowd and social distancing norms were broken sparking fear of the spread of the virus. “These officers have failed to ensure public health and safety during the lockdown restrictions to combat COVID- 19,” said the MHA order had said at the time.
