

JAIPUR: In a strong move to curb corruption, Chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma has approved disciplinary action against 33 serving and retired officials. All the officials have been under the scanner over misconduct, including links with illegal mining operators, financial irregularities and negligence, according to a government statement issued on Tuesday.
The decisions cover 30 disciplinary cases. Seventeen serving officials face the withholding of two to four annual increments with cumulative effect, while 16 retired officials face pension penalties.
A former circle officer faces the stoppage of four increments for colluding with criminals and receiving undue benefits from illegal gravel mining operators. Two increments each were stopped for another circle officer and a constable over links with drug smugglers and failure to arrest wanted criminals.
Other cases involve negligence in criminal investigations, irregularities in works under rural employment schemes, prolonged unauthorised absence and a medical officer’s role in issuing the wrong blood type.
Among retired officials, a Rajasthan Accounts Service officer’s entire pension has been permanently stopped for manipulating records to benefit a private company, causing losses to the government.
Two retired Rajasthan Administrative Service officers face a 20% pension cut for five years over irregular land conversions.
The government also approved the exoneration of officials in eight cases where the charges were not established during departmental proceedings.