Pradeep Kasni (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)
Senior Haryana IAS officer Pradeep Kasni, who faced more than 70 transfers in his 33-year-long career in the civil services, is retiring on Wednesday after serving in a “non-existing” Haryana Land Use Board as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for the past six months. Haryana IAS Officers Association, headed by the Chief Secretary, has invited him for a customary tea party.
However, speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, Kasni said, “…The association has somehow skipped the real issues and challenges it needed to espouse. So, formalities like a cup of tea in such an abdication of responsibility doesn’t make much sense.” “The association must concentrate on cadre related and broader issues of governance or misgovernance so far as cadre is concerned,” he said. In August 2017, Kasni was posted as OSD, Haryana Land Use Board, which is interestingly a non-existent entity. Kasni had to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to decide the legality of the orders of his transfer to a “non-existing post/department”.
Asked how he saw the role of the Association in his own case, especially about his transfers and the current case in which he had to approach the High Court even for his salary and dues, the 60 year-old secretary-rank officer said, “The Association need not take up personal matters for redress for which law exists. However, for gross disregard of the tenets of cadre management, the Association mush have stepped in.”
Asked about the issue of ongoing tussle between the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, Kasni said, “Personally, I understand that the issue is not emotive and is limited to alleged misbehaviour or browbeating of an officer in a meeting. When the officer concerned has chosen to lodge a criminal complaint, nothing remains for the IAS Officers Association to agitate about, except of course an expression of solidarity or sympathy the victim.”
Kasni had joined Haryana Civil Services (HCS) in 1984 and later elevated to the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) and allotted 1997 batch. As secretary, Haryana Administrative Reforms Department, Kasni in July 2014 had red-flagged appointments of State Information Commissioners and Right to Service Commissioners pointing out “glaring gaps” in the whole process.
Soon after BJP came in power in October 2014, Kasni was appointed as Commissioner of Gurgaon Division. However, he was removed from the post just after 1 month and 8 days. Then the Government had not mentioned any reason for his removal but his transfer had followed a report by Kasni to the government on “fraudulent land deals and misappropriation of government lands by private interests”.
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