The Punjab government has suspended two IAS officers, Kamal Kishore Yadav and Jaspreet Singh, in connection with a six-year delay in the procurement of smartphones for Anganwadi workers. The delay pertains to the procurement of 28,515 smartphones intended to track 12 lakh beneficiaries under the Poshan Abhiyan.

The suspended officers, Kamal Kishore Yadav, who was Administrative Secretary in Industries, Investment Promotion and Promotion of Information Technology, and Jaspreet Singh, Managing Director, Punjab Infotech, have been placed under suspension with immediate effect. During their suspension, they will be attached to the state headquarters in Chandigarh and will receive only a subsistence allowance.

In addition to the suspensions, the government has also transferred two other IAS officers in connection with the same case. Vikas Pratap, the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Social Security, and Joint Secretary Anand Sagar Sharma have been transferred. While Anand Sagar Sharma has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner Gurdaspur, Vikas Pratap has not been given a new posting.

The vendor selected to supply the smartphones reportedly resorted to legal action due to the extensive delays in the procurement process.

Adding to the series of actions, Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, a 2001-batch IAS officer who had been without a posting for almost 11 months, has been given a posting. He will now head the Industries, Investment Promotion, and Social Security departments.

The suspension of Kamal Kishore Yadav and Jaspreet Singh falls under Rule 3 1 of the All India Services Discipline and Appeal Rules, 1969.

Interestingly, prior to these actions, on January 20, Punjab Infotech Chairman GS Jawandah directed officials to halt the tendering process for the Poshan Abhiyan project, noting that the Vigilance Bureau was already examining the matter. Jawandah emphasized the need for "utmost transparency, caution and restraint" given the Vigilance Bureau's scrutiny.

It has also been suggested that the two officers were suspended because they purportedly failed to secure clearance for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to The Netherlands and Czech Republic. However, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha was not available for comment on this matter.