The Uttar IAS Association solidly stood behind the 28 -year - old IAS officer who was suspended for taking on sand mafia and demanded that the suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal should be revoked.
The Association members held a meeting in the morning and later went to meet Chief Secretary. The officers were agitated the manner in which young officer was penalized. Their argument was that suspension was a harsh decision for a new IAS officer and this could affect her career. In the absence of Jawed Usmani, officiating Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan met the delegation members. "We went to meet the chief secretary and demanded revocation of the suspension. He said he will look into it," secretary of the IAS association, Parthsarathi Sen Sharma told reporters here on Monday. Nagpal accompanied the Association members to Chief Secretary’s office Officiating Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said the matter would be placed before Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on his return from Karnataka.
"The members discussed the matter in detail and I assured them that I will apprise Chief Minister of the development," he told reporters here. A 2009-batch IAS officer posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Gautam Budh Nagar was penalized ostensibly for the demolition of a wall at a disputed place of worship. The Government spokesman had defended the decision saying it was an administrative decision because she had ordered demolition of the wall at a place of worship without fulfilling the legal formalities. Slamming the SP government, Opposition parties alleged that the suspension order was made under pressure from the mining mafia. BJP leader Kalraj Mishra said that the action of the State Government showed "it is not liking those officers who are leading drives against the mafia". "No one knows what mistake she had made. Everyone knows that Durga Shakti was suspended under the influence of sand mafia," he said.
Nagpal had led a crackdown on unauthorised mining in the district and got over two dozen FIRs registered against those involved in illegally removing sand. Special flying squads were formed by her to stop the raging menace along the Yamuna and Hindon rivers in western U.P.Social activist Dr Nutan Thakur has requested the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training to seek detailed report in the suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal.In her letter, Thakur has said that since Central Government is the Cadre controlling authority of IAS officers and is empowered under Rule 3(6A) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1969 to seek details about suspension of IAS officers, hence a detailed report about Nagpal’s suspension be immediately sought and the suspension order be quashed if found illegal and improper.
The letter also asks for issuing directions to Chief Secretaries of all States to aid and support those IAS, IPSand IFS officers who act against Sand Mafia and who work for compliance of Supreme Court order dated 29 September 2009 in SlP (Civil) No(s).8519/2006 regarding illegal religious construction in public places and not to harass them through suspension.