Mann govt suspends 2 IAS officers, shunts out 2 others over smartphone procurement delay

Before being suspended Yadav was posted as Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Investment Promotion, while Jaspreet Singh was serving as Managing Director, Punjab Information & Communication Technology Corporation Limited (Punjab INFOTECH).

Punjab is yet to procure 28,515 smartphones, needed to track nearly 12 lakh beneficiaries under Poshan Abhiyaan using the face recognition system (FRS). The scheme was launched in 2018 and Rs 27 crore was allocated to the Department of Social Security and Women and Children Development Department for procuring the smartphones. To be funded by Centre and Punjab in 60:40 ratio, the initial cost of the procurement was pegged at Rs 34 crore (including Rs 27 crore in central share). The department, in turn, had entrusted the Punjab INFOTECH to procure the mobile phones that were to be handed over to the anganwadi workers. The process, however, got delayed with the state government initially inviting tenders for 4G enabled phones before deciding to procure 5G ones even as it led to an escalation in cost to nearly Rs 60 crore.

Apart from suspending Yadav and Jaspret Singh, the government also shunted out IAS officer Vikas Pratap who was handling the charge of Additional Chief Secretary, and PCS officer Anand Sagar Sharma, who was posted as Joint Secretary in the Department of Social Security. While no fresh posting has been assigned to Vikas Pratap, Sharma has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur.

Meanwhile, as pervthe transfer and posting orders, Gurkirat Kirpal, who was removed as Home Secretary on March 24, 2025, has been posted as Administrative Secretary, Social Security, Women & Child Development replacing Vikas Pratap. Gurkirat Kirpal has also been given charge of Administrative Secretary in Industries and Commerce, Investment Promotion, and Information Technology departments.

The Social Security and Women and Child Development Department is key to fulfilling the the riling Aam Aadmi Party’s poll promise of Rs 1000 per month to women voters. It will be the executing department of the scheme, responsible for providing the data of women and also formulating the rules. The charge of investment promotion too hold significance as the government is organising investors summit from March 13 to 15.

Incidentally, the fresh posting orders for Gurkirat Kirpal comes barely a month after he denied promotion as Principal Secretary.

Interestingly, the government divested Yadav of the Investment Promotion charge at the last minute. He had been preparing for the summit to be a success. He had also accompanied Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to various places to invite investors. Also, Yadav was to be a part of the delegation led by Mann that was to leave for Netherlands and the Czech Republic on Saturday. The delegation couldn’t board the flight as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not grant it the mandatory political clearance.

In other orders, Dr S Karuna Raju, who returned from a central deputation, has been appointed as Chief Resident Commissioner at Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi replacing Varun Roozam.

IAS officer Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar has been given the additional charge of Director of Higher Education and MD of the Punjab INFOTECH.

Rambir Singh has been relieved of his charge as Secretary of the Mandi Board. He will now hold the charge of Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department and Commissioner of Jalandhar. Kumar Amit has been given the charge of Secretary of the Mandi Board. He will continue to hold his previous portfolios, including Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.