Latest news with #PCS
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
NH-74 scam case: ED seizes Rs 24.70 lakh during searches in Uttarakhand, UP
Dehradun: The Enforcement Directorate seized Rs 24.70 lakh and incriminating documents during simultaneous searches at seven locations in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in a case linked to a Dehradun-based provincial civil service (PCS) officer in the NH-74 scam case, an official said on Friday. D.P. Singh, a senior PCS officer currently working as Executive Director, Doiwala Sugar Mill in Dehradun, faced the searches on Thursday, said an official statement. The ED said D.P. Singh, the then Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO), Uttarakhand, while working in the capacity of Competent Authority of Land Acquisition (CALA), entered into conspiracy with Revenue Officer/Officials, Land Consolidation Officer/Officials, farmers/land owners, middlemen and others for misappropriation of the government funds by manipulating the use of land by way of passing backdated orders. This resulted in payment of higher compensation to landowners at non-agriculture rates, as opposed to the legal and expected compensation, said the ED. To achieve his ulterior motives, he resorted to fabrication/forgery by making back-dated entries in revenue records/documents, which were projected as genuine at the time of distributing compensation to landowners against land acquired for the widening of NH-74 and NH-125. This resulted in a loss of Rs 162.5 crore (approx.) to the government treasury, said the federal probe agency. The ED in this case had already attached movable and immovable properties amounting to Rs 43 crore (approx.) from various accused persons. While the investigation is in progress against these officials and landowners, seven Prosecution Complaints have already been filed before the Special Court (PMLA), Dehradun. Earlier last year, the ED attached immovable properties worth Rs 7.89 crore in the form of land situated at Vallah village in Amritsar district, along with movable properties worth Rs 2.40 crore in connection with a case linked to the scam. The ED had initiated the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on an FIR filed by the police. During the investigation, it was revealed that five brothers -- Ajmer Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Gurvail Singh, Sukhwant Singh and Satnam Singh -- managed to get backdated forged orders and subsequently got them entered in the revenue records on a later date in connivance with the revenue officials and middlemen. Based on this, they fraudulently received excess compensation to the tune of Rs 15.73 crore for their land, which was being acquired for the widening of NH-74 at a non-agricultural rate. The ED investigation revealed that this ill-got money was either utilised for purchasing immovable properties in their names or was transferred to their other bank accounts or bank accounts of their relatives.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner's civil servants launch 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot WFH
Civil servants in 's department are launching a 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot work from home. Staff at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, will begin the industrial action next week. It follows a dispute over the closure of six offices, the scrapping of 'location-neutral' contracts, and the enforcement of 'rigid' office attendance policies. Members of the Public and Commecial Services (PCS) union, which represents civil servants, will begin action short of a strike on Monday. This will see MHCLG staff who are PCS members work to contract, remove goodwill, and refuse to comply with non-contractual policies and processes. Civil servants in Ms Rayner's department are said to feel particularly frustrated as the Deputy PM is spearheading Labour's reforms to workers' rights. The Employment Rights Bill includes a right to request flexible working, including working from home, and measures to boost trade unions' powers. The legislation will increase the burden of justificaion on bosses so that they must accept a flexible working request unless it is 'not reasonably feasible'. The Bill also seeks to give trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate on behalf of their workers. Martin Cavanagh, the PCS president, said: 'From removing staff from an office before the lease expires to spuriously challenging lawful notices of industrial action, the employer seems intent to avoid proper consultation, disregard fair process and alienate its staff. 'Closing local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance doesn't make sense. The way out of this dispute is to negotiate, not frustrate.' A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We have engaged with unions and staff about a number of proposals – including plans to expand four offices outside of London and close six offices over the next two years, as leases come to an end. 'The department will continue to have offices in every English region as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all staff affected will be able to continue in their roles.'
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
ED raids Uttarakhand PCS officer in case related to NH-74 widening 'scam'
Dehradun/New Delhi, The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches against an Uttarakhand officer and others as part of a money laundering investigation linked to a 2017 case of alleged corruption in the widening of national highway 74 in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, official sources said. ED raids Uttarakhand PCS officer in case related to NH-74 widening 'scam' Dinesh Pratap Singh, a provincial civil service officer, is currently posted as the executive director of the Doiwala Sugar Mill in Dehradun run by the Uttarakhand government. At least seven locations in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh linked to the bureaucrat were raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act . The searches were linked to the alleged NH-74 scam, the sources said Singh could not be contacted for a comment on the ED action and the charges against him. According to the sources, Singh "changed" the use of land acquired for widening of NH-74 and NH-125 by passing backdated orders resulting in the loss of ₹ 162.5 crore to the government. This was while he was working as the competent authority of land acquisition. The money laundering case stems from a 2017 FIR, followed by a chargesheet, of the Uttarakhand police against Singh, revenue officials, farmers and middlemen. The police, according to an ED statement issued in the case in September 2020, found that Singh and some others, working in the capacity of the competent authority of land acquisition, conspired with other public servants, farmers and middlemen for misappropriation of government funds. They did this by granting compensation at non-agriculture rate on the basis of backdated orders passed under section 143 of Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act of 1950. The compensation at non-agriculture rate is much higher than the agriculture rate, the ED said. The central agency filed a chargesheet against Singh and some others in 2024 as part of this investigation. The fresh searches are aimed at gathering more evidence in the case, according to the sources. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
ITV This Morning star says she was was going 'mad' after being misdiagnosed in health battle
This Morning regular Kate Lawler has opened up on her health battle which left her in serious pain. This Morning host Kate Lawler has opened up about an undisclosed health battle that saw her experience "the worst pain of her life". The TV star, who won Big Brother UK in 2002, recently opened up about her agonising ordeal which saw her hospitalised while holidaying in Greece. She was told that "everything was fine" however, the 45-year-old presenter endured recurring misery, and underwent multiple tests after returning home to the UK, leading to a series of misdiagnoses prior to uncovering she had pelvic congestion syndrome. She said: "The abdominal pain was worse than any pain I've ever had. It was crippling - sometimes too unbearable to even get out of bed - and it felt even worse during menstruation and sexual intercourse." Describing the torment, she said: "It was a sharp, stabbing pain that would last from 10 seconds to several hours." Kate has been experiencing discomfort in December 2017, later finding herself admitted to hospital while on holiday in Greece. Kate initially thought she had a serious hernia and was feeling ignored by doctors, She recounted how they seemed to imply she was "going mad" with suggestions pointing towards hormonal imbalances or ovulation as the cause for her excruciating discomfort. Despite repeated reassurances from medics that all was well, Kate couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, the persistent intense pain leaving her desperate for answers. She opened up about the impact it had on her, admitting to The Sun: "In the end I literally felt like I was going to have to live with the pain forever." In August 2022, Kate was eventually diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome and underwent a procedure to address it a few months later. "I can't explain how much I've improved and how I no longer feel crippled by this pain that would strike at any time," she proclaimed, now actively raising awareness of the syndrome after having to fight for her diagnosis. "No woman should suffer in silence." PCS, as detailed by the Cleveland Clinic, can cause persistent pain due to blood flow issues within the pelvic veins. This condition manifests as sharp, severe pain, heightened pain pre-and post-menstrual cycle, during sexual activity, and when standing or sitting for extended periods. The exact causes are elusive and while there's no cure for PCS, treatments like medications and certain medical procedures can alleviate symptoms. The mum of one then had pelvic vein embolisation, a minimally invasive procedure involving the insertion of tiny coils into faulty veins using X-ray guidance. The radio host has been sharing her journey on social media and keeping her fans updated by revealing in 2023 that she was experiencing peri-menopause and considering HRT. Kate posted a photo of herself, and penned: "Just a selfie of me earlier because you know, life/work/child/the news/housework/bla bla." She then went on to say: "Only sharing this because the last few days my Insta may have looked like all the fun but in all honesty, the majority of the days over the last week have been a lot and I'm due on so that probably doesn't help. "And I had a call from my GP after blood tests to tell me I'm perimenopausal and the offer of HRT just made me feel weird. Anyway, if your own mental load feels heavy right now, I see you and I'm sending you so much love."
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
ITV This Morning star rushed to hospital while on holiday with 'worst pain of her life'
Kate Lawler, who won Big Brother UK in 2002, has spoken out about her experience of being diagnosed with a little-known women's health condition, that left her in crippling pain This Morning's Kate Lawler has opened up about a hidden health struggle that subjected her to "the worst pain of her life". The 45-year-old television personality, famed for winning Big Brother UK as the first female champion in 2002, detailed the agonising ordeal leading to a hospital dash in Greece. Initially being told by doctors that "everything was fine", she returned home to the UK only to endure multiple tests and incorrect initial diagnoses until discovering she had pelvic congestion syndrome. Kate shared: "The abdominal pain was worse than any pain I've ever had. It was crippling - sometimes too unbearable to even get out of bed - and it felt even worse during menstruation and sexual intercourse. "It was a sharp, stabbing pain that would last from 10 seconds to several hours," reports Wales Online. Symptoms first troubled Kate in December 2017, which then escalated to a hospitalisation while on holiday the following year. Suspecting a serious hernia at first, Kate voiced frustration over doctors dismissing her concerns, leading her to feel as if she were "going mad" and attributing the relentless pain to hormones or ovulation. Despite repeated assurances of her well-being from various medical professionals, she continued to be plagued by extreme discomfort, rendering her "desperate" for an accurate diagnosis. "In the end I literally felt like I was going to have to live with the pain forever," she heartrendingly recounted to The Sun. In August 2022, she was diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome and later underwent a procedure to combat the debilitating condition. She expressed her relief saying: "I can't explain how much I've improved and how I no longer feel crippled by this pain that would strike at any time," and is now advocating for increased awareness, as she had to push for her own diagnosis. "No woman should suffer in silence." According to the Cleveland Clinic, pelvic congestion syndrome causes chronic pain due to blood flow issues in pelvic veins, characterized by intense sharp pains, painful periods, discomfort during and after sex, and prolonged standing or sitting pain. The causes of PCS remain a mystery and while there isn't a permanent cure, symptoms may be alleviated through medications and surgical procedures. Kate underwent a pelvic vein embolisation, which entailed placing small coils into the affected veins with X-ray assistance. The radio presenter and mum-of-one frequently updates her followers about her health struggles on social media platforms. In 2023, she disclosed she was experiencing perimenopause and was considering hormone replacement therapy options. On Instagram, alongside an emotional selfie, she candidly shared: "Just a selfie of me earlier because you know, life/work/child/the news/housework/bla bla." Her caption continued: "Only sharing this because the last few days my Insta may have looked like all the fun but in all honesty, the majority of the days over the last week have been a lot and I'm due on so that probably doesn't help. "And I had a call from my GP after blood tests to tell me I'm perimenopausal and the offer of HRT just made me feel weird. Anyway, if your own mental load feels heavy right now, I see you and I'm sending you so much love."
