The government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Madhya Pradesh has cleared IAS officer Ajay Katesaria of serious allegations tied to his time as Collector of Satna district. Katesaria faced accusations of issuing illegal orders in various land-related matters between February 2020 and December 2021. These orders were said to have enabled the unlawful transfer of government land to private parties, violating conduct rules applicable to All India Services officers.
The allegations emerged through a departmental chargesheet issued on March 30, 2022, followed by another on July 24, 2024. Katesaria was accused of illegally listing government land under private names, erasing references to “government” from land records, issuing orders adversely affecting governmental interests in at least nine land cases, and breaching multiple provisions of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.
In a ruling dated November 7, 2025, the General Administration Department exonerated Katesaria from all significant charges, asserting that his actions fell within lawful judicial authority. However, he was advised to “exercise due caution” in the future, and the case was concluded without any imposed penalty. The order was signed by Farheen Khan, Under Secretary (Personnel), representing the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.
Katesaria is currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the General Administration Department. According to the November 7 order, a review of Katesaria’s detailed responses indicated that most of his orders were judicial or quasi-judicial and complied with directives from the Board of Revenue and the courts. His explanations were deemed satisfactory as final decisions in these matters remain pending in the High Court. Moreover, a circular from the Revenue Department protects presiding officers of revenue courts from disciplinary actions related to quasi-judicial proceedings.
Nonetheless, the government acknowledged concerns regarding a “lack of adequate oversight and due vigilance” on Katesaria’s part in executing the Revenue Board’s decisions. Taking a lenient stance, the government opted to issue him only a warning to exercise caution moving forward.
In defense, Katesaria claimed that the chargesheet from the Commissioner in Rewa was malicious and presented facts in a distorted manner. He insisted that all his orders were “legal, rational, and in line with previous judicial decisions,” affirming that the Revenue Department had supported the accuracy of his orders during Assembly sessions, emphasizing that his actions were legally sound and under review at the Tehsil level. According to him, all decisions were made following careful consideration of relevant circumstances.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/accused-of-illegally-transferring-govt-land-former-satna-collector-gets-clean-chit-from-madhya-pradesh-govt-10371518/
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Publish Date: 2025-11-18 04:25:00
