27 officials in Himachal booked for corruption

Shimla: Twenty-seven government functionaries in Himachal Pradesh were booked for corruption this year, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said on Tuesday.

“In one case, two officials are being prosecuted in the court of special judge of Dharamsala. The other cases are under investigation,” the chief minister said in a written reply to the state assembly.

The booked officials include two Indian Administrative Service officers — Desh Deepak and R.L. Bisotra — and Indian Forest Service officer A.K. Gulati.

Singh said various steps were taken to control corruption and these included enactment of the Himachal Pradesh Lokayukta Act of 2014 under which the Lokayukta has been strengthened by providing more powers to take action against corrupt public servants.