The issue of empanelment at the Centre continues to dog the bureaucracy in India. Now, the Uttarakhand High Court has issued notice to senior IAS officer Vivek Joshi (IAS:1989:HY) of Haryana cadre, in his capacity as the secretary of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), on a contempt petition filed by senior IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi (IFS:2002:UK). Chaturvedi has accused Joshi of defiance of court directions in a matter related to his empanelment with the Centre. Joshi is the respondent in the case.
In between, Vivek Joshi has been repatriated to his home cadre, Haryana, by the Centre and is likely to take charge as Haryana’s new chief secretary on November 1 after the tenure of current incumbent TVSN Prasad (IAS:1988:HY) expires on October 31.
Justice Alok Kumar Verma has issued the notice to Joshi in a case titled as Sanjiv Chaturvedi versus Union of India. In his contempt petition Chaturvedi has sought directions to punish Joshi for willful and deliberate violation of the High Court order passed on September 3, 2024.
The HC had asked the DoPT to give the record relating to the process and decision making of the empanelment of the petitioner, Sanjiv Chaturvedi, at the level of the Joint Secretary. The court had clarified that only the records relating to the petitioner’s empanelment shall be supplied to the petitioner. But the court’s order was not complied with by the Centre prompting it to issue a contempt of court notice.
In his contempt petition, Sanjiv Chaturvedi has submitted that he had intimated the respondent about the HC order through a letter dated September 11, followed by reminder. But in a most casual manner, Joshi sent the same on Public Grievances Portal, which sent response to this Petitioner as ‘ Case Closed’ on October 17. Chaturvedi has contended that it is an ample evidence of contemptuous attitude of Joshi and thus he should be punished.
Also Read: U’khand HC asks Centre to disclose empanelment details of IFoS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi
