New Delhi: Ever for the reason that BJP wrested Rajasthan from the Congress final December, mass transfers of administrative officers, even on the district-level within the state, have riled up the paperwork, with the matter even reaching the door of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
What has significantly raised eyebrows is the frequent switch of sure officers, with some being moved a number of occasions inside a span of simply two to 3 months. In one occasion, officers have been reassigned twice for a similar submit inside a mere 10-day interval.
The Rajasthan authorities, led by chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma, has to date put out 13 lists of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, 11 lists of Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officers and 7 lists of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers referring to switch and postings.
Over the previous 11 days, 221 RAS officers and 50 IAS officers have been transferred, whereas round 700 RAS officers have been transferred over the previous two months. The authorities has additionally reshuffled officers on the district stage.
Further, there have been allegations of newly-elected MLAs recommending switch and postings of officers. The switch of a number of officers in a single district has created a row, with the opposition Congress alleging that officers belonging to at least one specific caste are being focused.
Speaking to ThePrint, BJP’s state normal secretary Motilal Meena stated the transfers have been “happening under normal routine process”. “The department of personnel is making these decisions. There is nothing new in this,” he added.
A BJP chief, who wished to not be named, nevertheless, stated that “officers with a political image are being sent away from the capital. And new people are getting opportunities”.
The controversy has now reached the PMO, with state authorities sources saying that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has requested for an inventory of all officers transferred within the final three months to apprise the PMO.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a gathering with newly-elected MLAs on 6 January, had advocated for a correct coverage whereas transferring officers and requested celebration males to desist from recommending transfers and postings, in line with BJP sources.
“Officers don’t belong to any government and elected representatives should maintain a cordial relationship with bureaucrats for better output,” the PM had stated, reminding BJP MLAs that former three-time Rajasthan CM Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had by no means engaged within the politics of switch of bureaucrats in his time.
ThePrint reached the Rajasthan CMO through telephone calls. This report can be up to date if and when a response is acquired.
Officials who’ve labored intently within the Rajasthan administration additionally don’t think about such mass switch workout routines to be good for the state and the morale of the paperwork.
A former chief secretary of the state, on the situation of anonymity, instructed ThePrint: “Transfers are made so that an officer of one’s choice can be brought in and the work can be done according to one’s wish. Due to this, the system starts working with a similar thinking. This has become a political tradition and every government does the same. But the way the present government is trying to control things, even at the district level, will weaken the democratic system.”
Another Rajasthan-cadre bureaucrat stated that “since the CM is new in administration, he is under pressure to perform and build his team”.
“Often, he is under pressure from his own colleagues which leads to several transfers and postings. However, this has now become a joke in the state, with one officer being transferred again and again or one post getting three different officers in one month. The functioning of the government is getting affected,” he added.
Political analysts imagine that no matter is occurring in Rajasthan has the imprint of BJP’s Delhi management.
Analyst Om Saini instructed ThePrint that “Rajasthan has got its CM by a slip (referring to Bhajanlal Sharma’s selection by the BJP high command in Delhi). Modi’s bureaucracy model is being copy-pasted here”.
Also Read: Modi tells BJP MPs to be ‘ready for a fight’: ‘More we win, the harsher the Opposition’s assaults’
Some controversial transfers
Three workers members of Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari and two workers members of the opposite Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa have been transferred inside three months.
After Kumari took over her submit on 16 December, Rajasthan-cadre officer Gopal Singh was appointed as particular assistant. He was, nevertheless, changed by Jagveer Singh in February, who was once more changed on 22 February by Lalit Kumar, an officer within the erstwhile Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje CMOs.
Similarly, Bairwa’s administrative workers was modified twice inside 10 days — first RAS officer Rajendra Singh Rathore was given cost as particular assistant, however then Bhagat Singh Rathore took over from him inside 9 days.
According to the switch lists, some IAS officers have been transferred twice previously two months. These embody Prithvi Raj, Shakti Singh Rathore, Omprakash Bunkar, Jasmeet Sandhu, Gaurav Goyal, Suresh Ola and Vasudev Malawat.
On 13 February, 2006-batch IAS officer V. Saravana was made secretary within the state division of science and know-how, however on 2 March, he was posted as secretary & commissioner within the division.
IAS officer Bhawani Singh Detha was transferred twice in a month whereas IAS officers Krishna Kunal and Mahendra Soni have been additionally transferred twice. Kunal changed training secretary Naveen Jain, who was transferred to a different submit.
A supply related to the state training division instructed ThePrint that the previous secretary was a dynamic officer and environment friendly administrator. “He was transferred only because he was appointed during the Gehlot government,” he stated.
RAS officer Deva Ram Saini, who was Officer on Special Duty to Gehlot for 15 years, was additionally transferred twice in a month. In the two February switch checklist, he bought the submit of further divisional commissioner in Banswara, whereas within the checklist that got here on the finish of February, he was made the registrar in Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University.
IPS officer Shyam Singh was given completely different postings in a month’s time. Similarly, Bhuvan Bhushan Yadav was appointed as DCP of east Jodhpur however was shifted inside six days because the police superintendent of Sikar.
For the extra superintendent of police’s (ASP) submit in Banswara, three officers have been transferred within the final 12 days — Prabhu Dayal Dhania took over cost as ASP on 2 March however was transferred on 4 March and Banwarilal Meena took over as ASP. The authorities then transferred Banwarilal and deputed Rajesh Bhardwaj in his place.
‘Witch-hunt’
An inventory of transfers in Churu district additionally made information. Here, former chief of opposition Rajendra Rathore had misplaced final yr’s meeting election from Taranagar seat. It has now been alleged that BJP MP from Churu seat, Jat chief Rahul Kaswan, was behind Rathore’s defeat and now officers from the Jat caste are being modified at a number of locations.
Sources within the BJP instructed ThePrint that a couple of officers had complained about “witch-hunt of officers from one particular community (caste) in one district due to defeat of the (former) leader of the opposition”.
Congress state president Govind Dotasra alleged that “during BJP government, transfers and postings of officials have taken place after viewing their caste and there is a clear trend of transfer of Jat community officers”.
Former Congress MLA Krishna Poonia, too, stated that “in Churu district, officials were transferred due to the influence of Rajendra Rathore, who lost the election, and he sent his list for transfers”.
In Taranagar, RAS officer Sandeep Choudhary was suspended as sub-divisional Justice of the Peace and 10 different officers are reportedly awaiting postings.
According to Congress sources, “BJP leaders who lost elections have been taking revenge against officials”.
About the fees, BJP’s Meena stated: “The Congress during its tenure even transferred peons and drivers. Our government has not transferred officers on caste lines. They have been transferred for administrative purposes.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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