Finding him guilty of transgressing law and norms and issuing orders in favour of private persons contradicting prescribed procedure,the Chhattisgarh government today suspended Additional Chief Secretary T Radhakrishnan for the alleged irregularities in land-related cases during his tenure as Chairperson,Board of Revenue. Following public complaints against him,the government had earlier moved the High Court against the IAS officer and then instituted a committee to verify the charges. The committee had found him guilty. The suspension order,signed by Secretary,General Administration Department,notes that as Chairperson,Board of Revenue,Radhakrishnan conducted hearings violating rules and procedure. transgressed law and procedure on the request of private persons and issued orders in favour of private persons contradicting prescribed procedure. It adds that considering the circumstances. it is imperative to suspend Radhakrishnan, and recommends a departmental inquiry against him. The inquiry committee will be set up within the stipulated period after Chief Minister Raman Singh returns from the US, said government spokesperson N Baijdenra Kumar. Earlier,Revenue Minister Amar Agarwal had also written to the Chief Secretary accusing Radhakrishnan of corruption and seeking strict action against him. The fourth IAS officer to be suspended in Chhattisgarh so far,Radhakrishnan was the Chairperson,Board of Revenue,from 2008-2011 the highest appellate authority in the state for land-related cases. He was found to have allowed the sale of tribal land to non-tribals and issued orders unlawfully declaring charagaan bhumi (public land for grazing) as private land. In a rare move,the district administration challenged his decisions as Chairperson,Board of Revenue,and filed a writ petition in the Bilaspur High Court last year. In its order dated January 28,2011,the HC observed: "The Board of Revenue has acted with gross and manifest illegality." Following the HC's observation,the government set up a four-member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Narain Singh to examine the orders passed by the Board from January 1,2008 to January 31,2011. The committee examined around 900 of nearly 3,000 cases and found that in around 600 cases the Board issued orders beyond its jurisdiction,violating all procedures. "According to the Code of Chhattisgarh Land Revenue,sale of tribal land to non-tribals in scheduled areas is totally prohibited. T Radhakrishnan violated this provision,committed gross illegality and misused his powers in allowing such sale," said the report. Only the district collector has the authority to allow sale of tribal land to non-tribals. The Board of Revenue is merely an appellate authority,"but it transgressed its jurisdiction and accepted the application of sale of tribal land",said the report. The report also noted that in most cases,the Collector was one of the petitioners before the Board,but orders were passed "without considering documents from subordinate courts,and on the basis of documents submitted by private petitioners only". The committee also noted that the Board "admitted appeal by persons who we5re not applicants before the subordinate court. which is in gross violation of law". In the dock * Addl Chief Secy T Radhakrishnan is reported to have sold tribal land to non-tribals,unlawfully declared public land as private land during earlier tenure as Chairperson,Board of Revenue. * HC had ruled that the Board of Revenue acted with gross and manifest illegality. * Inquiry committee said Radhakrishnan misused powers. transgressed jurisdiction.
