PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Taking strict cognisance of the incident in which the district soldier welfare officer (DSWO) of Bageshwar was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe, the Soldier Welfare minister Ganesh Joshi directed the authorities to terminate the officer. On the minister’s direction, the departmental secretary Deependra Chaudhary terminated the Bageshwar DSWO colonel (retd) Subodh Shukla from service on Tuesday. He was arrested by a team of the Vigilance Establishment on Saturday while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from one Kailash Chandra for extending his contract as a soldier welfare worker. Shukla was given a contractual appointment to the post of DSWO on July 22, 2022 by the department.
In his message, Joshi said that the State government is working on the policy of zero tolerance for corruption. He said that corruption at any level will not be tolerated. Joshi said that transparency and accountancy is paramount in a sensitive department such as Soldier Welfare. The minister further said that the officers of the department have been asked to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. Joshi said that the State government is committed to protect the interests of former armed forces personnel and their families.
