Chandigarh, February 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
In a major administrative move, the Punjab government on Saturday placed two senior IAS officers under suspension in connection with alleged irregularities and prolonged delays in the procurement of smartphones for Anganwadi workers.
According to official orders, Kamal Kishore Yadav (2003 batch) and Jaspreet Singh (2014 batch) have been suspended with immediate effect under Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. During the suspension period, both officers will remain attached to the state headquarters in Chandigarh and will be entitled to subsistence allowance.
At the time of suspension, Yadav was serving as Administrative Secretary for Industries, Commerce, and Investment Promotion, while Jaspreet Singh was holding the charge of Managing Director of Punjab Information and Communication Technology Corporation Limited (Punjab Infotech).
Delay in Smartphone Procurement
Though the suspension orders did not specify detailed reasons, official sources said the action is linked to a nearly six-year delay in procuring smartphones for Anganwadi workers under the Union Government’s Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan Abhiyan schemes.
Punjab Infotech had floated tenders for the procurement of around 27,500 smartphones to help Anganwadi workers digitally track beneficiaries and upload field data through a dedicated mobile application. The funds for the project were provided by the Centre to monitor implementation of the scheme.
However, sources said the tender process was not properly followed and became entangled in legal disputes after the selected vendor approached the court. An adverse order was reportedly passed in the matter, further delaying the project.
Officials also pointed out that the prolonged delay led to cost escalation, with the estimated expenditure rising from around Rs 34 crore to nearly Rs 60 crore.
Action Against Other Officers
In the same case, action has also been taken against senior IAS officer Vikas Pratap Singh (1994 batch), who was serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development. He has been divested of his charge.
Additionally, Joint Secretary Anand Sagar Sharma has been transferred and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur.
New Postings
IAS officer Gurkirat Kirpal Singh (2001 batch), who had been without a posting for nearly 11 months, has now been assigned the charge of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Social Security departments.
Meanwhile, Harshuinder Singh Brar has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Punjab Infotech.
Vigilance Scrutiny
Sources revealed that in January this year, Punjab Infotech Chairman G.S. Jawandah had directed officials to halt the smartphone procurement process, stating that the matter was under scrutiny by the Vigilance Bureau. He had emphasized the need for transparency and caution in the tendering process.
Despite repeated instructions, the procurement process allegedly continued, leading to serious administrative concerns.
Interim Arrangement for Workers
Due to the delay in providing official devices, Anganwadi workers have been receiving an annual allowance to use their personal smartphones for beneficiary tracking and data entry until government-issued phones are supplied.
Previous Suspensions
This is not the first instance of disciplinary action against IAS officers during the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
In February 2025, Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Tripathi was suspended following corruption-related complaints. Earlier, in August 2023, senior IAS officers D.K. Tiwari and Gurpreet Singh Khaira were also suspended over a technically flawed decision related to the dissolution of panchayats.
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