Delhi LG V.K. Saxena has directed the immediate repatriation of an IAS officer to his parent cadre due to his alleged “lackadaisical approach” in finalizing a crucial tripartite agreement involving land management and drone surveys.
In a communication sent to DDA Vice-Chairman Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, the issues surrounding the agreement were laid out in detail. The correspondence highlighted several meetings held under Saxena’s supervision aimed at utilizing drone surveys to analyze land status, including identifying encroachments and unauthorized constructions. These meetings took place on June 6, August 2, and August 16.
The meetings, which involved senior officials including the Chief Secretary of Delhi and the Commissioners of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), were centered on expanding a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Survey of India (SoI) to include the MCD. This expansion was intended to ensure comprehensive benefits from drone surveys for all concerned government organizations and Delhi’s citizens.
Despite commitments made in June to finalize the tripartite agreement within a week and initiate work, no progress was reported. The communication expressed serious concern over the inaction and noted that during an August 16 meeting, the DDA’s Commissioner of Land Management attempted to attribute the delay to unresolved issues flagged by the Survey of India. However, it was reported that officials had not even received a copy of the agreement.
The letter criticized the IAS officer’s performance as “sub-par” and underlined that the continued delay undermines both the Lieutenant Governor’s directives and the High Court of Delhi’s orders concerning the use of advanced technologies for land management. Consequently, Saxena has requested that the officer’s services be surrendered to the Department of Personnel and Training for immediate repatriation.
The directive underscores the government’s push for efficient and timely implementation of advanced land management practices and adherence to judicial directives.
