Sitapur EO Faces Suspension Recommendation Over Alleged Contract On Relieving Day

The then Executive Officer of a municipal council in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, is facing the possibility of suspension and strict disciplinary action after allegedly awarding a contract to a private firm on the very day he was relieved following his transfer.

The matter concerns the outsourcing of property tax collection. District Magistrate Dr. Raja Ganapati R. has sent a recommendation to the government for the suspension of Vaibhav Tripathi and strict disciplinary action against him, citing serious financial irregularities and disregard for administrative instructions.

According to the inquiry, Tripathi had been transferred to Loni in Ghaziabad. On 1 June 2026, the day he was relieved from duty, he issued a contract and work order to Lucknow-based private firm Gyan Geomatrix Private Limited for collecting property tax through software.

Under the arrangement, the private firm was to be paid 12.5 percent of the amount collected. The contract was linked to the recovery of property tax involving lakhs of rupees.

The allegation is that the work was handed over to the private firm without obtaining any approval or sanction from the municipal board. The question being raised is how such a contract could be awarded without the board’s approval.

The inquiry also noted that the e-Nagar Seva portal was already operational at the government level for data collection. In this situation, the decision to assign the work to a private firm without the municipal board’s approval has been treated as a violation of rules and a serious administrative irregularity.

The action against Tripathi has been recommended after the district administration examined the circumstances surrounding the contract and work order issued on his relieving day. The recommendation includes suspension along with strict disciplinary action.

The District Magistrate has written to the Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, and the Director, Local Bodies Directorate, seeking action in the matter.

The next step will now be taken by the government. Attention is focused on the decision of the authorities on the recommendation for suspension and other disciplinary measures against the former Executive Officer.