2 IAS officers among 7 suspended in land case

The Uttarakhand government, on Tuesday, suspended seven officials including two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and a Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer for irregularities in the purchase of land under Haridwar Municipal Corporation (HMC), officials aware of the matter said.

- Amit Bathla

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government, on Tuesday, suspended seven officials including two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and a Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer for irregularities in the purchase of land under Haridwar Municipal Corporation (HMC), officials aware of the matter said.

The matter pertains to the purchase of 2.3070 hectares of "unsuitable" land in November last year for ₹54 crore near a garbage dump in Sarai village, officials added.

"The land was converted from agricultural to non-agricultural (commercial) status under Section 143 of the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act in a very short period, without following the due process. This led to the land price inflating from approximately ₹13 crore to about ₹54 crore," Shailesh Bagauli, secretary of home, said.

Land-use changes typically undergo rigorous scrutiny and approval processes, taking months, Bagauli said.