NCERT Chapter Sparks Swift Action by CJ Suryakant , But Silence Over CVC Letter Raises Questions on Alok Verma
Gustakhi Maaf Haryana – Pawan Kumar Bansal
While the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, reportedly took strong note of the chapter titled “Corruption in Judiciary” in textbooks published by NCERT, questions are now being raised over the alleged inaction of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change regarding a pending communication from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
According to documents referenced in the write-up, the CVC had sought the version of Alok Verma, an Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer of the Haryana cadre (1989 batch), in connection with allegations of misuse of power during his tenure as Secretary in the Environment Ministry. The allegations reportedly relate to procurement decisions involving paper purchases during his tenure.
At present, Alok Verma is serving as Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), a constitutional body responsible for recruitment to key government posts in Haryana.
As per the cited correspondence dated 18 July 2019, Dr. S.S. Sandhu, then Additional Secretary & CVO, in his letter (DO No. C-13011/89/2012-Vig), had written to Ravi Shankar Prasad, Additional Secretary & CVO, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, referring to earlier communications dated 09 May 2019 and 05 July 2019. The letter requested the ministry to obtain Alok Verma’s version on the allegations and submit it along with his biodata so that the department could move a proposal for first-stage advice from the CVC.
The communication reportedly emphasized that the matter was being closely monitored by the Central Vigilance Commission and requested personal intervention to expedite the response. However, as per the claims made in the article, the reply from the ministry is still awaited.
The issue was also raised during a session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha by senior Congress leader and former Speaker Dr. Raghubir Singh Kadiyan. He reportedly demanded that the House summon Alok Verma to seek clarification, stating that the matter concerns the integrity of a person holding a crucial constitutional post responsible for public recruitment.
The article further alleges that Alok Verma enjoys strong political backing, though no official response has been made public regarding these claims.
As the debate over accountability and transparency continues, the contrast between swift action in academic content matters and the delay in responding to vigilance-related correspondence has triggered renewed discussion in political and administrative circles.