The Punjab government has ordered an inquiry into a rare instance of a government officer recommending his own name for the coveted Padma awards.

Last month, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Executive Officer of the Kharar Municipal Council, had demanded the honour for himself and his four subordinates — Assistant Municipal Engineer Baldev Raj, Junior Engineer Harpreet Singh, Sanitary Inspector Om Parkash Gupta and draftsman Jagpal Singh.

The officer had written to the Punjab government to confer either the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan or the Padma Shri on him and his subordinates on Republic Day. Also, Gupta had sought promotion for himself and his men.

Gupta had demanded the honour for “removing encroachments from municipal land”, claimed to be worth around Rs 25 crore.

Now, taking cognisance of the matter, reported by Newsline on September 11, Chief Secretary S C Aggarwal has asked the Director Local Government (DLG), Punjab, to investigate the matter.

The Kharar Citizens’ Welfare Council had referred the case to Aggarwal.

Council chairman Dr Pawan Kumar Jain had forwarded the Newsline report to the state government and urged it to check if a public servant could recommend his name for such honours.

“The grounds on which such an honour and service benefits have been sought need scrutiny,” Dr Jain had said, seeking a thorough examination of Gupta’s service record.

Gupta, meanwhile, had written to the DLG and Patiala Regional Deputy Director of the Local Government department in support of his case.

He had said some people had encroached upon the municipal land in Santemajra village, and they were “removed due to special efforts by me and my four subordinates”.

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