CHENNAI: The State government on Wednesday suspended senior IAS officer C Umashankar, who was the Commissioner of Small Savings.
According to highly placed sources, the action was taken for reportedly producing a fake community certificate while joining duty. Sources also said that the Central government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) have been informed about the suspension. His office was also taken over by another officer by Wednesday afternoon.
When contacted, Umashankar, a 1991 batch IAS officer, declined comment. Umashankar said he was yet to see the orders. Being a government servant, it was not proper for him to discuss it with media, he added.
Sources close to Umashankar said he was away from his office on Wednesday to file a petition in the Madras High Court. The government action had not demoralised him, sources said and added that for the past two years, he had been undergoing various hardships, which had made him more spiritual. Because of his faith in God, nobody could cause any damage to him, they said.
Some retired officials were of the view that the State government had no authority to suspend an IAS officer who was appointed by the President of India.
Since the community certificate produced by Umashankar would be with the UPSC, it would not be proper for the State to suspend him without conducting a proper inquiry.
Last month, the State government had directed the Directorate of Vigilance and AntiCorruption (DVAC) to conduct an inquiry into the allegations that Umashankar possessed assets disproportionate to his known sources of his income. He challenged it in the Madras High Court.
In his petition, Umashankar said: "the government is interested only in promoting the cause of the corrupt and the powerful... I am now sought to be victimised because I recommended penal action against Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV) (Belong to SUN TV Group, owned by Kalanidhi Maran brother of Union Textile Minister Dyanidhi Maran) and a State Minister.''
Throughout his career, Umashankar had been in the news for a variety of reasons. He faced the ire of the AIADMK regime in 1995 when as Additional Collector in Madurai he unearthed a scam related to construction of cremation sheds. He was transferred from the post.
After the DMK government assumed office in 1996, he was appointed as Joint Vigilance Commissioner. Later, Umashankar was appointed Collector of Tiruvarur, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's home district. During that period, he made Tiruvarur the first edistrict in India, introducing transparent and technologyenabled administration for the public.