2 IAS officers suspended after Punjab govt's 'U-turn' in HC on dissolution of panchayats

Chandigarh, Aug 31 (PTI) Hours after taking a "U-turn" by informing the high court that it is withdrawing its notification dissolving all gram panchayats in the state, the Punjab government suspended two senior IAS officers on Thursday for a "technically-flawed" decision.
    The government suspended 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayats, and 2009-batch IAS officer Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Director, Rural Development and Panchayats and ex-officio Special Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayats, under the provisions of rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, according to an official order.
    The order of suspension was issued by Chief Secretary Anurag Verma.
    Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it was withdrawing the notification on dissolution of all gram panchayats in the state, which was seen as a major embarrassment for the Bhagwant Mann regime.
    Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said the state government has suspended the principal secretary and director of the rural development and panchayats department with immediate effect for taking a "technically-flawed" decision regarding the dissolution of panchayats.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)