With Opposition parties already demanding a high-level probe into the large-scale corruption in transfers in the Government departments, a three-member high-level committee constituted to investigate transfers and postings in the Public Works Department (PWD) has found large-scale irregularities.
Sources said the committee headed by Agriculture Production Commissioner Manoj Kumar Singh has come to the conclusion that there was violation of rules in the transfers.
The committee found that while engineers working for more than 10 years on the same posts were spared, those posted 22 months back were shifted to other places.
The committee has identified at least 59 engineers who were shifted in violation of the rules.
The PWD headed by Jitin Prasada shot into limelight last week when the Yogi Adityanath government removed officer on special duty Anil Kumar Pandey who is said to be a close confidant of Prasada. Pandey, who was brought from Delhi, has been repatriated to the Central government.
In a further crackdown, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also ordered the suspension of Engineer-in-Chief and head of department Manoj Gupta.
A three-member committee formed to probe corruption in the PWD also indicted six other senior officers of the department.
The needle of suspicion is revolving around PWD Minister Jitin Prasada, who, sources said, had approved the transfer list. The inquiry is reported to have revealed that his staff had suppressed information.
However, Prasada, who rushed to Delhi last week to meet the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, said in a statement that there was no question of being upset over the controversy.
Reposing his faith in the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Prasada said the government was meeting the expectations of the people.
Apart from the committee report, a departmental review has also brought glaring irregularities in transfers. It is to be noted that the officers who were transferred by Manoj Gupta are groups A and B officers. The permission of the state cabinet minister, as well as the Chief Minister, is required for the transfer or posting of such officers.
Apart from the cancellation of these transfers, the State Government has also decided to expedite inquiries against officers attached to the PWD headquarters for more than a year.