A day after suspending General Manager (Tourism) of Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) AK Malhotra, the UT Administration failed to give any specified reason for his suspension. Malhotra was suspended on Wednesday and was not issued with a show cause notice. His suspension has raised many eyebrows as the authorities did not specify any reason in his suspension letter.
Recently, Malhotra had raised several issues with the management regarding declining revenue in CITCO. It is learnt that Malhotra had also written to the UT Home Secretary, CITCO Chief General Manager, Director Tourism Tanvi Garg requesting for a vigilance probe into the irregularities in the allotment of stalls in the recently concluded Rose Festival.
When contacted, UT Home Secretary Anil Kumar said, “The officer was not following the Administration’s hierarchy and was shooting off communications. There is a way to deal with senior officials. I have asked Tanvi Garg to look into the matter and also give in written her concerns.” He said one vigilance inquiry is also pending against him. The inquiry is related to delay in giving contract for manufacturing of body of a double-decker bus.
Malhotra, who was holding the charge of general manager of Hotel Mountview, tourism and steel depot, was handed over his suspension letter at his residence on Tuesday night.