IAS officer gets notice for 'demolishing' monument to construct bungalow
What's the story
An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has been handed a notice over the demolition of a 15th-century monument in the national capital for constructing an official accommodation during his tenure as the chief executive officer of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
Udit Prakash Rai, a 2007 batch IAS officer, reportedly misused his position and ordered the monument's destruction with the help of DJB engineers.
Details
Monument belonged to Pathan period: Report
The historical monument, which is allegedly a palace from the Pathan era, is the only remnant of the Khizrabad city, established by Khizr Khan of the Sayyid dynasty.
According to reports, the monument was located in the Jal Vihar area near southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar, and the IAS officer's family is still living in the bungalow despite notices to evacuate.
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Vigilance Department's show-cause notice to Rai, DJB engineers
According to the news outlet Times Now, Rai and five other DJB engineers have been issued a show-cause notice by the Vigilance Department of the Delhi government regarding the matter.
Furthermore, they have also been asked to respond within two weeks to the vigilance notice.
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ASI, DJB found monument went 'missing' in January 2023
The monument was supposed to be turned over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by the DJB, but the ASI department and DJB found it missing in January this year, the Vigilance Department's notice said.
Referencing DJB officials' notes, the notice added that the monument was in a run-down state and was to be handed over to ASI for intervention in January 2021.
Further information
Further details on Vigilance Department's notice
"By his (Udit Prakash Rai) commissions and omissions, the officer actively facilitated the demolition of the ancient monument and prevented the same from getting handed over to the archaeology department for its protection," news outlet Times Now quoted the notice as saying.
It also added that the monument consisted of a gateway that still exists; however, the palace portion is gone.
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Political reaction to Delhi monument incident
Numerous political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC), have demanded action over the incident.
"Only in India. Fifteenth-century monument demolished to construct government officer's bungalow. Are the Archaeological Survey of India and Ministry of Culture napping yet again?" TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweeted.
"Urging G Kishan Reddy (Union Minister For Culture and Tourism) to look at this," she added.