After complaints about the slow progress, the matter was reviewed by senior officials. Following this review, suspension orders were issued.
The Punjab government on Tuesday suspended two senior IAS officers, though it has not officially stated the reason for the action. According to sources, the move is mainly linked to long delays in buying smartphones meant for Anganwadi workers under a welfare scheme.
The officers suspended are Kamal Kishore Yadav, who was serving as Administrative Secretary of the Department of Industries, Investment Promotion and Information Technology, and Jaspreet Singh, Managing Director of Punjab Infotech.
Sources said both officers were in charge of supervising the smartphone procurement process. The scheme to provide smartphones to Anganwadi workers was announced on August 12, 2022, but it did not move forward even after more than 14 review meetings at different administrative levels.
Punjab Infotech was given responsibility for the purchase process. However, several problems were reported in tendering, coordination, and execution, which led to repeated delays.
After complaints about the slow progress, the matter was reviewed by senior officials. Following this review, suspension orders were issued.
Sources say the delay in smartphone procurement is the main reason behind the suspensions, although some other factors may also be involved. The government has not yet released detailed official reasons.
Officials say the action shows the government’s focus on timely delivery of welfare schemes and accountability in public service work, especially for frontline workers like Anganwadi staff.
