Remember a convicted ‘non-guilty’ IAS officer, HC Gupta, when fretting over stalled economic reforms

[@ThePrintIndia]

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[@satyasingal]

I know H. C. Gupta personally. We attended a week’s course for IAS officers when both of us were Directors in the Government of India in 1989. He was an upright officer. He was made a sacrificial scapegoat by his corrupt ministers in the UPA government. As far as misuse of the CBI is concerned, V.C. Pande who was Cabinet Secretary threatened me to withdraw my complaint against his batch and cadre-mate officer and if I didn’t do that he would put the CBI after me. I conveyed to him that I would not withdraw the complaint and if he put the CBI after me, I would complain against him to the Prime Minister. He fell silent. This incident has been mentioned in detail in my biography which was published last week and is out already.

[@kevinp9110]

thank you for standing up to whats right.

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you Mr Singal. I will have your book and Raje a look. Warm regards, shekhar

[@rbdr4164]

@@ThePrintIndia can you please mention the name of the book.

[@disha_chaudhari5864]

@the print plz name the book

[@satyasingal]

@@disha_chaudhari5864 The book is in Punjabi. It is under translation in English. It will take a while for completion, editing and publishing. If you are interested in having the Punjabi version, please send me the address with pin code number . I will ask my biographer to send it . Title of the book is ‘ Prashasan Di Kahani, IAS Di Zabani’.

[@yogeshkalia2167]

Thanks for bringing this out , such officers must be protected. So many corrupt officers get away & innocents have to face this

[@sureshnaidu201]

he is honest ... but cannot be brilliant...judging from his fate

[@yogeshkalia2167]

@@sureshnaidu201 yes, well pointed out. I agree

[@JitenderKumar-qe2jp]

@@yogeshkalia2167 .

[@sohambanerjee99]

The Honest are always targeted. The corrupt always get away by corrupting others!

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you very much Soham… it’s a terrible injustice done to him…best wishes..shekhar

[@renukaviswanathan454]

H C Gupta is an honest, simple and very intelligent person. A modest and dignified man. Vinod Rai will have this crime on his conscience forever.

[@harshitkumawat7]

These were exactly my thoughts after reading about his conviction. This incident remind me of a line spoken by Nitin Gadkari ji in Off the Cuff interview. He said "There is no punishment for corrupt officers and no reward for honest officers in system" Very sad. I hope IAS fraternity will stand up for this honest officer and help him in this tough time

[@bhiwaji]

An engaging and wise national interest. It was need of the hour sir. Thank you so much.

[@ThePrintIndia]

Hi Manas, Thanks for tuning in.

[@himanshugarg7077]

It is deeply painful that he has to go through all this at retirement age, and what is more terrifying is that he's being left with no money to defend himself. God forbid anyone has ever had to face something like this

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

My question is different, when a coal secretary got convicted, but why nobody questions coal minister of that era

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

@@darkknight-yu8pq it's reverse actually, bureaucrats don't have any responsibility, ministers do

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

@@darkknight-yu8pq if that's the reason why lalu is in jail Or case is going on sisodiya regarding excise policy

[@nalingupta5952]

It is because of alleged material gains made by those while holding public office. HC Gupta is facing prosecution for signing the file etc.

[@GururajBN]

Such a tragic story. There’s a Kannada proverb: “One who ate the banana got away. But one who ate the banana skin was caught.” This hapless man didn’t even eat the skin of banana. The corrupt know how to survive.

[@joelxavier9465]

Govt officers are always afraid to take a decision, saying yes or no both could lead career ending investigations at best and spending time in jail at worst. HENCE, officers finds the safest option to just sit on files and don't take any decisions until written direction from above where no one can accuse u for discretion.

[@rishiraaj.580]

Scary 😕

[@ChadPANDA...]

Well this time he is going to jail for following higher ups orders . :/

[@sohambanerjee99]

Absolutely True! This is one of the reasons for delay/ corruption across the spectrum!

[@sauravkumar-kq2jq]

my father was also an IAS officer in uttar pradesh cadre and he has worked with H. C Gupta , he was always full of praise for him , a dead honest officer . When his name cropped up in coal scam , officers in uttar pradesh were surprised and shocked , my father always vouched for his modesty , honesty and simplicity. He was a bachelor , but very sad with what happened to him.

[@satyasingal]

When the news of his first conviction was published , I condemned it on my Facebook timeline.

[@Kudupa]

Need of the hour is judicial & bureaucratic reform which India needs desperately. Without these, policy changes will never take place & India will never move up from where it is on the economic ladder.

[@vishalrockzz844]

Electoral and police reforms too

[@Kudupa]

@@vishalrockzz844 electoral reforms will happen when all parties demand it. Most parties love the status quo & for police reform Government needs money. How many of us pay taxes? How many of us enjoy subsidies? If your answer is many then, we have the solution. But will any government has the power to push through with reforms? I don't think so. BJP government with this majority is failing to push reform then, what hope do we even have for the better future?

[@ranjitkamath2417]

1. Thanks for bringing this episode, I read your article also in BS. I2. feel for Mr. Gupta, but why should he plead guilty, Govt. can organise a a lawyer for him ( I bet there is provision for that) and IAS lobby/association which is so strong can hire a reputed lawyer for him, why leave him in lurch ? If there is way to contribute for him, I am willing to pitch in. 3. well we talk about indepedence of institutation then why did CAG instead of tabling report in Parliament held a Press conference, Why did Judiciary intervene to cancel the coal allocation ?? 4. well life is not fair and this case is classic explanation for that, straight trees always get cut first.

[@hello240157]

Vinod Rai has to be one of the most narcissistic officer, who had an insatiable urge to stay in news n media, no matter what the cost for the nation, for institutions or for his peers. Such IAS officers are an abomination to the civil service. All political parties need to start administrative reforms. A small step in this direction would be to abolish British era post of collector and place several specialized officers, who will be held accountable for their dept.

[@trao355]

Yes Sekhar gupta should file a case and jail him!! else apologize !!

[@ThePrintIndia]

Well, people and institutions need to be held accountable for their deeds. Rai, by the way, is now Chairman, Kalyan Jewellers in Kerala…thanks for writing in..shekhar

[@trao355]

@@ThePrintIndia raises another allegation if want to confuse people !! file a case if he is wrong else apologize !!

[@col.waltervonschonkopf69]

Damn, he is going to spend his old age years in jail serving out eleven sentences for, at worst, making a friggin' error of judgement!

[@manjulashanmugasundaram706]

Much needed eye opener. Thank you so much Sir.

[@prempalsharma7]

Very unfortunate for gupta.Thanks for print and shekhar jee for raising this matter.

[@SanjayTiwari-bh8rd]

“Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done”. This dictum was laid down by Lord Hewart, the then Lord Chief Justice of England in the case of Rex v. Sussex Justices. Are our judges unaware of this dictum. One poorly drafted clause cannot overrule this universal doctrine. Judicial activism should be used for something more useful. Are our courts delivering justice blindfolded so much so that they are unable to see if Justice is seen to be done or not, My Lord.

[@ankitRaj-jf6mz]

Haan ethics of wale Ansari sir ne yahi kha tha H C gupta sir k context me

[@JS-zc2jr]

An eye opener 😳. Thanks 🙏 #ThePrint #ShekharGupta for this.

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you very much my friend… stay well…shekhar

[@JS-zc2jr]

@@ThePrintIndia This made my day 🙏 Thanks #SG sir. The real #OG

[@adhyabharti]

Your data & findings are commendable. If H C Gupta does not have any disproportionate assets also( which is abnormal for this cadre)then what ever he has undergone so far is sad & although the torture which he has so far undergone may never be compensated but surely he will be acquitted.As regards the IAS lobby’s support for this man it could be - चोर , चोर मोसेरे भाई। Your organisation is extremely good in gathering data. I wonder if our country will have some people or organisations surveying & making public the data on assets of our politicians & bureaucrats.🙏🙏🙏

[@sid7186]

As a nation and society if we truly wants to grow we should do away with this mob justice on road, in court and in news rooms...Kudos to shekhar ji for bringing out this topic

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you Siddharth.., mob justice is very well put. A mob just wants blood. Whose, they don’t care.. warm best wishes. Shekhar

[@fk4519]

Sad state of affairs. Thank you SG for brining this to our notice.

[@brijeshpanwar5977]

Really depressing story. Thank You Sir for bringing this out.

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you Brijesh. He’s had such a raw deal. Warm best wishes, shekhar

[@romo90.]

Have been reading about this case, however, watching this video… still managed to feel sad about the state of affairs where honest officials are made scapegoats in such a manner! This indeed is an important national interest episode, hope it gets wide circulation.

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you Veer. Our system targets the weakest… thanks for writing in..shekhar

[@udayangaidhanigaidhani5331]

shekhar, I believe that the 2G scam did exist monetarily. remember that 2 companies that bid for spectrum at 800 crores sold them just 6 months later to those who were denied the bidding opportunity earlier, for 10 times that price. So while we may dispute the extent of the scam there were certainly monetary gains

[@udayangaidhanigaidhani5331]

also, when 2G auction happened, there was only 2G service and the estimate of what the revenues will be were unknown and expected to be very high. Now with 2G, 3G and 4G existing the bidders know that 5G may not necessarily give the returns that a 10 lakh crores investment will expected

[@anandnaama]

In your fantasy world of WhatsApp!

[@shubhamjha4998]

In your WhatsApp and Facebook university that scam exist but for your knowledge supreme court has already dismissed that case and all the no proof was found against any accused

[@ishanbajpai6940]

@@anandnaama Amazing criticism right there Buddy, You totally proved why you are the smart one here. I am in Awe.

[@MrEtronic]

@@udayangaidhanigaidhani5331 extra ordinary claims require extra ordinary proof . The witch hunt done in the name of 2G had a very bad effect on the overall Telecom industry and after 10 years and countless back and forth nothing came about . If there were people who benefited It would be of great interest of the central govt to investigate with CBI, ED , etc . But no one likes to admit they were wrong.

[@tudortv2147]

Is it possible to create something like a Go fund Me page for HC Gupta, a legal fund for him in India?

[@kamumbai]

Thank you for introducing h c Gupta. How politicians and other beneficiaries got away.

[@yasrao]

Officers who worked very hard for the country will sincerity and humility needs to be recognized and rewarded

[@rishiraaj.580]

Politicians, Corporates Always Get Away. 😐

[@Thoughtflux]

I the midst of mandir-mazjid such important stories always get lost. A very informative video!

[@AJK_444]

Good work. Sir

[@nitinshantinagar]

Hi Shekharji, I want to correct one thing, in the auctioning one of the big factors is who is the buyer and how many buyers are bidding. In 2007 2G auction there were number of players and the base price was 1650 crores (2001 price). In 2022 5G auction the number reduced to 3. One more point CAG report mentioned it is a NOTIONAL LOSS, not an actual loss.

[@brahm-ahamasmi]

See a few more of Gupta ji videos. He loves making fun of Vinod Rai. I can assure you that Vinod Rai deserves it. That is why he is says "What's a few zeros between a few friends?". All those big scams during UPA-2, yes, those that killed Congress... those were non-scams. There was no evidence, and many a times, no beneficiary. Well, at least not to the tune being harped. Gupta ji has made detailed fun of those scams.

[@nitinshantinagar]

@@brahm-ahamasmi that's the failure of CBI to unearth the scams but mind you that 2G allocation did cancelled by Supreme Court in 2012. How can they sell the spectrum to companies who have no experience in telecom? How can the price not being found out in 2007, even the wheat and rice are not selling on 2001 price.

[@kavisiddu]

@@nitinshantinagar All the inexperienced companies had a foriegn partners with experience..

[@madhavdiwakar1100]

Just like Anil Ambani tried to manufacture Rafale jets

[@brahm-ahamasmi]

@@nitinshantinagar If CBI id not unearthing scams under Modi, then who will? Why not call them conspiracy theories then? And courts, yes the courts! They only judge based on the rules, not what is right and wrong. Unfortunately when they do, there they mess up as well. There is an full episode on it by Gupta ji. Please check it out.

[@bukit184]

Sir. Do share more stories like this as the system needs a mirror

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you Ghanashyam. We will keep working at it. Wonderful friends like you are our strength. Warm vest wishes, shekhar

[@disha_chaudhari5864]

SG plz elaborate this issue..i can't understand it... If you post something in past plz share a link...

[@joeaabraham]

Sir .. you didn't talk about what exactly he was held guilty for and convicted and who benefited

[@mdr6714]

Very very well put journalism...

[@ayadavdude]

I would like to bring Few point Which Mr. Shekhar Gupta missed or (Purposely chose to hide) in this episode. From all accounts, Gupta is an honest and upright officer. But when the coal scam was underway, what was needed from him was more than personal incorruptibility. He needed to hold his responsibility to the country higher than what the functionaries in the Congress seemed to have been telling him to do. As Mr. Shekhar Gupta writes and I quote "Two, in none of the 11 cases of mine allocation was he the final, or the main deciding authority. The decision was taken by a screening committee" He purposely hide the fact that was the committee was headed my HC Gupta. The Screening Committee that Gupta headed disregarded its own internal comparisons of all the applicants, as a Central Bureau of India official had pointed out. Subsequently, as we know, several of the files pertaining to the allocations went missing as well. In other words, Gupta is not in the dock because he made recommendations that benefitted some companies. He is in the dock because he cannot explain why those companies were chosen. He cannot explain those decisions because he is not the one who made those decisions to begin with. Politicians, especially from the ruling Congress Party, influenced the allocations. The screening committee that Gupta had headed during his tenure as Union Coal Secretary had cleared around 40 cases of coal mining rights, as per reports. In other words, Gupta is in trouble because he did not oppose what the government was doing. This shows in the charges filed against him. He has been charged for “criminal breach of trust by public servants”, and “criminal misconduct by public servants” of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The larger question When some senior IAS say bureaucrats should be held responsible only in cases where a quid pro quo can be established - that is, a favour or advantage can be shown to be granted to them in return for decisions taken - they are pushing a solution which would help every pliant bureaucrat who doesn’t uphold the larger public interest over what the government of the day tells them to do, as it would insulate them from structures of accountability. This could be a police officer who accepts his home or chief minister’s order to not stop a riot, a bureaucrat who knowingly fudges air quality data, a mandarin who allows undeserving medical colleges to flourish, or whatever. As we know, the IAS has careerists in its administrative services as well as good officers. Now, imagine an outcome where the government has to give its consent for prosecution of officers. It is hard to not remember Ashok Khemka at this point. Unlike Gupta, he challenged wrongdoing by his political masters in government repeatedly - and paid for it every single time. It speaks volumes about the IAS Association that it is far more voluble on Gupta than it ever was on Khemka. And it speaks volumes about us that we fall for all this.

[@agonnoga6100]

The biggest reform that India needs is maximum transfer of power from New Delhi to the states. India is like a subcontinent and centralized rule has always been a bane and not a blessing for India.

[@Vizorfam]

Remove hindutva govt

[@ujjwalgandhi951]

I disagree US has a state based system and is pretty succesful aw a country China has a complete central and is successful as a country In a country as diverse as India, a balance between the state and centre system always needs to be there If states start functioning as Indipendent power centres, India as an entity and a collective Identity won't last

[@rravisankar3355]

States have more than adequate powers. The sovereignty rests with the Union exclusively. Subversionists shall be given no quarters whatsoever!

[@Essen2023]

Bad decentralization would be worse than existing setup. Today corruption is flourishing in many states and national media does not pay attention to it unless it gets to Laloo'esque proportions. Also, if you notice, there is hardly any decentralization at state level. State govts that complain against the Centre, hardly devolve any powers to Municipal Corporations or Panchayats or other such local bodies. So this is currently a one-way street where opposition ruled states attack the govt at the Centre, but do not follow democratic norms at state level themselves. So, a well thought out, transparent devolution of powers is necessary, but should not be to such level that Union of India becomes a silent, mute spectator to some states damaging the fabric of India with reckless, profligate economic policies and causing ruin to the entire country.

[@vishesh-434]

Wrong. On the local level, China is 17 times more decentralised than India.

[@LordNest66]

All these things happened because the mood of the nation had shifted to the Right Wing after 1990s, but actual govt flip-flopped between 1990-2014. When the mood of the nation is in right and the govt is in left, anything that the govt does become a scandal. The same thing will happen the mood of the nation will be shifted back to left in future (may be around 2050s).

[@sohambanerjee99]

It is slways flip- flopping between these two extremes! Why can't Indian masses/ electorate stick to a Wing(Right/Left) ? Why can't they warn their bread, roof and clothes by sticking to the liberal centrist democratic position ? Perhaps no answer to this !! Maybe the wingers have better mass leaders than the centrists/ liberal Democrats!

[@kaushiksivaraman5203]

Dear print if you know how to contact hc gupta please highlight the same. As there will always be some lawyer willing to provide legal defence to the poor soul

[@minturehman5887]

We are the generation where H.C.verma rings the bell.... And also RS Aggarwal 😜

[@naturelover4148]

Yea we science students😂

[@lifewonder]

I am from R. D. Sharma time

[@arindamkumar7725]

Welcome to India: 'The land where the innocent are convicted and the guilty are let go'

[@poojaindia]

This is so sad.

[@rj6404]

“It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer , odd the ways people suffer at the rule of the law .

[@chandubai]

We only thank Congress being a first party to govern India.. PS: I am not saying Congress is corruption free.. but still I find good visionary intellectual and concerned ppl available there.. BJPs Mantra we can Loot our country because it is our country..

[@howdoifindaname2743]

congratulations on making absolutely no sense... I have no clue what you mean by any of this or how you plan to back it up with any sources

[@mackr1581]

@@howdoifindaname2743 You don’t need any fact to verify it. Just look at any auction you will see either ambani or Adani outbid others.

[@chandubai]

@@mackr1581 yes, if the Congress would have not there India wouldn't have seen Big Corporates like TATAs, Brilas, I am taking these 2 names just to make the point of thier philanthropic, good Corporate governance mindset in comparison with these pure TRADERS called Adani Ambani Many andh bhakts don't know the difference between Traders and Industrialists

[@shrinivasj610]

Interesting take, Adani is going to invest 70 billion for green hydrogen and Ambani is already having Jio with investments for facebook. So are they traders now?

[@chandubai]

@@shrinivasj610 I have another take, a food for thought just recent acquisition of ACC n other existing Cement Factories by Adani. Adani for sure become or became already the no#1 Cement manufacturer in India right ? But how it helps in growing the Indian economy per se ? Had the Adani started building new Cement manufacturing plant (vanilla project) then think and imagine how it would have been helped in the growth of that place and india in particular... PS: I am not saying traders are bad industrialists are good here. Every one has a role to play.. Considering the broder aspect Traders mentality is different than those of industrialists 😊😊

[@himanshugarg7077]

After passing out such tough exams you aspire to overtake the welfare work for the people and these politicians who come for five years interrupt the work of bureaucrats if they don't find it viable according to them. And they easily get away, leaving an honest officer by levelling false corruption charge against them. This is how the system works . There must be reform in civil sectors by implying the less interference from politicians ,and moreover it should work towards the independent body.

[@vmdoon]

Does Mr HC Gupta have any further legal recourse? How can we help?

[@shankarraja8565]

Not liking the ad. When I pay for the journalism, and google ad free service, this is not expected.

[@utkarsh2746]

Try Ad block Plus. Or Vanced kit if you're using Android.

[@howdoifindaname2743]

there are no ads in between the video, and it is still journalism, much better journalism than what you'd find on primtime garbage TVs in this country nowadays

[@jugchats]

Golden words Mr. SG - "you can be just Sir Humphrey Applebee"

[@rajendrajasathy4356]

Sirji, way back there were 4 telecom providers who were biding, also they were bidding for the first time so they bid higher. As the Govt did not follow the process, so quite possible they could have amassed even a higher price. This time all got fare experience that the spectrum is not so costly, and the Govt anyway take away the a % in profit, so if they bid higher they will have to price the product higher and now no will pay higher price. So they made a fare assessment.

[@lokeshupadhyay9503]

Thanks mr Gupta this 15.31 second alarm bell in my mind thanku sir

[@sumanvyas6761]

Holy cag auditor is rewarded enough . Country is paying price

[@ashokkhanduri3322]

Sir , the figure of 1.76 lakh crore loss is one of the possible figures for losses as per CAG. The other figures of losses were very less . But the media choose 1.76 lakh crore. Please also tell that the date of last bid for 2 G was preponed without any justified reasons. Also how a fruit company of few lakhs can give loan of several crores. The program in support of HC Gupta may be right but not attempt to justify that scams has not occurred

[@PawanKumar-hb8pf]

Not many people know about Sir Humphrey Appleby.

[@gajendrapatil1762]

Exactly , no Top level officer now sign notesheet approval .

[@mutualrespect4411]

Two National Interest in one week?!? That's different!

[@RahulSharma-jm9ir]

man this is really shameful

[@avrindersingh184]

Well taken up. We must support such honest officers. How and why an officer after getting retired 14 yrs back be punished now at the ripe age of 74. I pity the Indian judicial system, hopelessly Hopeless.

[@Krishna_Singh_2111]

" India's Defense Budget " बड़े दिन हुए सुने 😌

[@sagarsansare572]

It is a surprise that a IAS officer doesn’t have money to fight this case. A rare situation indeed. Most population will not believe it.

[@surajr1986]

The basis of all legality should be Logic. How can any act that is not a crime after 2018, be one prior to this date?

[@sssaaannn007]

This is how govt organizations work, if you don't do anything you are a good person who is not troubling anyone. If you take a cut for any work your the best person in service who's getting the work done and keeping everyone happy. If you are a honest person then you should not be working in the govt organizations else your life will become miserable. This is one of the main reason why we should move to privatization.

[@kvadivarahan]

Super

[@pra2221]

Samajh nai aya. If the law has been changed they why is he being convicted on the basis of previous version?

[@balrajseth6310]

YOU are correct thatS C Gupta did not make any money like Manmohan Singh but he did not get punished because the whole battery of Congress lawyers were in court for MMS but no one was deputed by congress to fight for SCG. Also SCG could have named the culprits, who were at the forefront of decision making, but he did not do that. So the whole blame fell on him.

[@shamlele657]

So Shekhar Gupta should become CBI Chief. He should be distributing Character certificates. Mobiles were much more costly earlier than what they cost today

[@marcuswilley9809]

Where is a judicial Accountability in India , these judges should be taken to task by SC ?

[@anilbaveja6039]

This is the worst crime that our polit-judicial coterie is playing

[@wadoodrehman3669]

I'm a Pakistani but like listening to this program

[@asheesht]

1.99Mil Subscribers... all the best SG for 2Mil

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you Aashish, getting there…warm best wishes…shekhar

[@AKGarg124]

Sir please do not misguide the public by comparing 2G auction and 5 G auction. At the time of 2G spectrum auction it was the only technology available at that time with a pot of gold for the allottees. It was not auctioned and licences were handed out at a nominal rate to those who could pay bribes. All norms were violated and the allottees made a killing. For example Chandra of Unitech got 2G spectrum licence for 1600 crore fixed rate. He immediately sold 60% of this spectrum for Rs 6000 crores to Telenor of Norway. Thus the total value of his spectrum came to Rs 10,000 crores. Total no of 16 licences were given. If these licences had been auctioned these would have fetched a minimum of Rs 160000 crores which is very similar to the figure of Rs 1,76,000 crores given by CAAG. But you are a blue eyed boy of corrupt Congress and you will never accept the obvious. In 5G auction, actual and real auction took place in transparent manner. Can you point out any malfeasance in this auction. Pl stop comparing these two different things and start justifying the arbitrary allotment of coal mines in lieu of bribes for free. The allottees were to pay a nominal royalty on every truck load of coal mined. These corporates were given these mines to set up power plants at the pit-head and produce cheap electricity to give to national grid. But none of this happened. Instead Jindal steel raised Rs 40,000 crores as bank loan by keeping these allotted mines as collateral. Can there be any bigger scam than that. H C Gupta should have stood his ground and objected to these allocations. I was very much in the govt as a bureaucrat. The whole govt was in the know about this great coal scam taking place. One south Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh was making a killing. Prime minister MMS also tried to take some steps to stop this loot when he came to know of this. Sir you are doing a great disservice to nation by glossing over this great scam. H C Gupta may be honest like MMS but he stuck to his chair like MMS when open loot was taking place. These very coal mines when auctioned during Modi govt fetched a royalty of Rs 30 lakh crores for next 20 years or so. You are presenting only a doctored version of things and telling bureaucrats not to sign any files lest they are hauled up later. Not fair.

[@sashi8681]

The "Shah' never punishes it's"naukar", there goes bharatiya naukarshah ,"Indian bureaucracy"

[@vinodkumarhv8628]

In 2012 1 pound sterling = ~84 rupees. 12 billion sterling pounds is 10.08 lakh crores NOT 70k crores.

[@udaysahgal]

If he can be convicted why the then coal minister who happened to be PM was also not questioned and under scrutiny

[@anupsinghkr]

Shekher Ji, your verbal article has 2 angles. 1. Scam under UPA was orchestrated and amount quoted was fictitious. 2. In one of your previous print National Interst in Indian Express, couple of years back, you had said that its the politicians who always get caught for any corruption and go to jail, bureaucrats have seldom been sentenced. Today you feel sad for Mr. H C Gupta. Little contradictory, however in sync with observations made. CAG reports in press conferences, inflated amounts, why isn't it happening today. We do have CAG today also, who bothers to know who is CAG head. Moral of story, and it's for Soniya and Rahul Gandhi to learn, don't run down PMO. As apex office if your creat extra constitutional body as NAC and run down PMO then someone here and there will come up with nonsensical figures and scams imaginary. 2010 to 2014, will go down ad decision paralysis years. All afraid and no one was deciding anything. Rahul Gandhi tearing cabinet resolution in public meetings, etc. No way to administer a country. Today with all pit fall, at least we know who the boss is and he is the real one. Unlike UPA times, Manmohan Singh was prime minister however operated as if he was president and PMO address instead of 7 race course shifted to 10 janpath. Paradoxical prime Minister etc, is just an haze, agenda is clear and people at ground zero are game for it. Sooner or later even leftist oriented intellectual will realize and make amends. You are still better off compared to others.

[@lawanyaarvind2810]

Why would any civil servant now wish to take any decision at all...there is such risk involved...We as a People are simply inured to corruption everywhere...sad indeed

[@ajaynandan255]

You seem to suggest that the POC act amendment was done at the behest of IAS association, which to me looks unfair. There’s need for a much larger piece from Print on section 13-1(d) starting from i to iii as well as implication of the latest amendments. I hope you will consider

[@ukumar2604]

Very sad state of affairs!

[@agarwalanoop]

Pls do a episode on CAG.. where have they been in the last 8 years.. no reports, no data.. also shouldn’t vinos rai be stripped of all his assets and fees he earned from BCCI..

[@navneety675]

Same thing happening in Delhi

[@vodanor4997]

Shekharji Congratulations to you and The Print on this brilliant piece. Till politicians are convicted the systematic corruption will not be cleaned. A Singapore like revolution needs to happen in India where corrupt politicians should be hanged to death.

[@ThatGuy-es8xt]

This is the fashion now, depicting someone else's honest mistake as an act of corruption, and it is done by those people who doesn't have the guts to take decision. Pointing out errors and criticising others work is the most easy thing to do but accepting responsibility and taking decision is the hardest task. No wonder that more people chooses the former over latter.

[@gkwithak9421]

Civil servants like Vinod Rai for some cheap thrills ruined economic procedure of government..

[@rishinikam424]

What a bullshit reporting. Back in 2013 a family friend of ours was being harassed by our SI from local police department there was something regarding the business of our family friend and he wanted bribes for that. So our family friend contacted ACB and he was caught red handed with bribes of worth 5 lacs and fast forward to 2022 the SI was acquitted from the case and now he is working in the police department adjacent to our Taluka. HC Gupta surely knew what was happening and he definitely took some heavy bribes but the IAS IPS lobby help each other up to cover their tracks. World has entered the phase of Authoritarian governments, if the bureaucracy is reluctant to act then Authoratative leaders will make bureaucracy bend to their wills. The likes of HC Gupta and such bureaucrats must suffer for the corruption they did. Don't tell me that H C Gupta climbed up the ladder, got promoted without corruption and became coal secretary or something. The ones who are not corrupt suffer in the system like Tukaram Munde from Maharashtra and they don't get promoted.

[@girirajsinghkushwaha2530]

Shekhar ji just take up any state of India you will find the honest officers harassed! The officers who have been to jail several times and carry very bad reputations are protected and given so called good postings!

[@vishwanathanvenkatsubraman9149]

Either judges are ignorant of law under which they are pronouncing judgments on HC Gupta or HC Gupta is guilty. There can be only one truth. The truth is he is guilty and he is not revealing who dictated notes on files and who benefitted?

[@basavarajpattanashetty2792]

Ias officer should be held accountable , for long they have hidden behind politicians

[@arkabanerjee1627]

V true.. that's why no senior officer is taking strong benevolent decisions..that helps large mass..the intricacies..of taking a bold decision..should be group centred or decision of a group.of officials..

[@arvindmohankhurana6784]

I have not come across a single IAS Officer who is not corrupt. SG can correct me if I am wrong.

[@it5617]

U have not met enough people then.

[@ramuramu5]

Sad situation

[@rajaramrangaswamy8737]

Thank you Sekar ji. It is a pity to see this. We hope the officer will be acquitted. My another worry is the constitutional authority like CAG doing what they did to make headlines.

[@ketan1779]

@SG sir.. Don't agree about 2g and 5g comparison... In 2007 mobile usage was around 15% of population. .. with a sure promise of rest 85% subscribing. As technology advances price comes down for consumer as well as provider. If mobile ph call even before 2g costed rs16 per min. Would 5g ph call cost rs 160 per min ?

[@shamlele657]

then how he has been guilty? Probably he is not coming out with truth. He should disclose the real culprits.

[@kasiviswanathankrishnan2412]

I feel very sad and upset about what happened to HC Gupta. But i object to your word "scandel mongering". whether there is conviction or not, lot us do believe that UPA 2 was full of corruption and scandels. the fact that there is no conviction shows the high standards of conviction set especially for the politicians by the judiciary. UPA 2 corruptions make lot us wishing for kangaroo courts. you had the other day made a cut the clutter on india's economic progress in last 75 years. the only reason we are lagging behind is because of the large scale corruption in the congress regimes after shastri.

[@sankalp6872]

Exactly. The state of affairs in UPA 2 was basically fireworks in all directions. Convictions or not, the public isn't gullible. We all know that all politicians are corrupt but UPA 2 had crossed the sacred threshold beyond which the public does NOT forgive. Of course, Modi Govt may also be shady but so far it has either not crossed that threshold or has been smart to keep it out of sight. The memories of the last days of UPA are still afresh in our minds despite 8 years. I do not see people who abandoned the UPA in 2014, going back to them. Had INC attracted the first-time voter aka the youth of the last 8 years into its fold it could have stood a chance but alas the Gandhis have become REPULSIVE. The preferred non-BJP alternatives are AAP and Regionals. The left has lost its space while Wokeism was always a non-starter in India.

[@kasiviswanathankrishnan2412]

@@sankalp6872 fully agree with you.

[@gomezmilkin340]

So you’re essentially saying that though all major scam allegations were made up, and there is no data to support it, you still believe in the make believe truth because you’re easy to fool?

[@madhavdiwakar1100]

Your entire comment is literally scandal mongering. What you “believe” only matters in the voting booth. Kangaroo courts lol, I couldn’t stop laughing reading your comment.

[@mridulagrawal6687]

Recently,infact in 2021 govt issued notification on public procurement on L1 etc,which will give relief to officers lyk him,while making decision on irrational fear of CBI CVC,CAG,and in last month July, CVC actually bought it in their rule books too,so this govt is moving in the right direction maybe not fast enough but,they r

[@rajx7120]

Why is an officer held, for signing an order, when the order came from the politician?

[@mutluruvasudevan193]

Dear Senior Advocates , can you step in clear a honest & retired.IAS officer. Why did the Govt Advocate take this case without any substance

[@chothazonienu3836]

this is scary

[@ThePrintIndia]

Thank you my friend, fiton NE, I presume… warm best wishes… shekhar

[@mangeshgitte1165]

Shared a link in which all your content stolen