IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal never demolished any wall: DM`s report

The DM of Gautam Budh Nagar has said in a report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government that the IAS officer never got any wall demolished.

Zee Media Bureau

Lucknow: In a new twist in the Durga Shakti Nagpal suspension case, the District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar has said in a report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government that the IAS officer never got any wall demolished. The state government had suspended Nagpal for "demolishing" the wall of a religious structure in Gautam Budh Nagar expressing fears that the same could have led to communal tension. The suspension came days after Nagpal took on the powerful sand mafia in Noida, seizing lorries and imposing penalties. According to the report, Nagpal had received orders from the administration to travel to Kadalpur village and find out if illegal construction activities on government land were being carried out. Since the IAS officer had been asked to ensure no action of the authorities should lead to tensions, Nagpal and other officers asked the villagers to either seek permission from the government for building the religious structure whose construction had just begun or themselves demolish the construction on encroached land. The residents of the Kadalpur village then chose the second option and dismantled the illegal construction, the report says further, adding no machinery was ever used by the IAS officer or her team. The state government had suggested that the wall was demolished by the IAS officer. The report goes on to say that police did not report any communal flare-up or the possibility of any riots. Media reports meanwhile claimed that the real reason behind Nagpal`s suspension could be her action against the sand mafia. It is being said that a Samajwadi Party leader who is aspiring to fight the next Lok Sabha polls had a stake in the sand mining activities in the district which were affected following Nagpal`s action. The IAS officer had acted against the sand mining activities disregarding political affiliations. Then came the Kadalpur issue which provided a safe ground for sidelining the brave IAS officer. Meanwhile, the central body of IAS officers has also demanded the UP government to revoke the suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal and undo the “wrong” immediately. "Whatever wrong has been should be immediately undone. Such action is not appropriate,” association’s secretary Sanjay R Bhoos Reddy said. He said the association’s member will meet Union Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy, Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training, nodal authority for personnel matters of IAS, Dr Shyamal Sarkar and Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth today in support of its demand. Narayanasamy, however, said the Centre is awaiting a report from the Uttar Pradesh government based on which it will decide the future course of action. But, the Uttar Pradesh government appeared in no mood to revoke the suspension of the IAS officer with state minister Shivpal Yadav saying it was a “misconception” that mining mafia had a hand in suspension of the SDM Gautam Buddha Nagar.