Bhopal: Chief Minister Kamal Nath, despite completing two months in power in the state, is not able to properly place bureaucrats. The state is witnessing transfers of IAS officers in several rounds. Nath, in its first meeting with bureaucrats, after assuming the charge of Chief Minister, had said that officers having charge of more than one department should have coordination.
Despite the state government shifting officers in several rounds, the departments which are under charge of one officer, have no connection in terms of work with each other. Apart from Nath, it is said that former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and real estate regulatory authority chairman Antony deSa are also interfering in postings of officers.
Chief secretary SR Mohanty is also trying to make postings according to his choice. Ministers too are seeking officers of their choice. Among the officers who were removed from the post of collector on December 21, only Shilpa Gupta, Vedprakash, Dilip Kumar and Virendra Rawat, were given postings on January 28.
Karmveer Sharma and Manish Singh were also removed from post of collector are awaiting postings. Shashank Mishra, who was shuffled from the post of collector was given charge of Ujjain, which is a big district. Saurabh Kumar Suman was removed from Sheopur on December 21 but he was made collector of Teekamgarh after four days.
Ujjain commissioner MB Ojha was removed from Ujjain but he was appointed commissioner, woman and child development after some days. Ex-officer-on-special duty (OSD) of Digvijaya Singh, Rajesh Bahuguna, is Jabalpur commissioner, Umesh Kumar and Prabal Sibaha are appointed as collector.
Ashok Verma, transferred from Gwalior, was posted at CM Secretariat just after a few days. Ravindra Mishra, who entered into controversy as Panna collector, is appointed as commissioner, Hoshangabad. Former IAS officer Aruna Sharma and Bhopal commissioner Kalpana Shrivastava had recommended against Mishra for not giving him field postings.
Chouhan questions transfers Ex-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, commenting on uncertainty over administrative reshuffling in the state, has said it was a big question whether there was a strategy of Chief Minister behind transfers or there was some other superpower behind them. Chouhan said the work of IAS and IPS officers is to implement the policies and schemes of the government. Chouhan said officers should be kept away from favouritism.
Lack of coordination in dept
There are several principal secretaries (PSs) who do not have coordination in their allotted departments. There is no coordination in labour and technical education departments whose principal secretary is Pramod Agarwal. Additional chief secretary M Gopal Reddy has charge of water resources department but he has been also appointed as managing director of Madhya Pradesh Madhyam.
Principal secretary Manish Rastogi has charge of revenue along with science and technology department. Additional chief secretary Manoj Shrivastava has charge of animal husbandry and spiritualism departments. Rashmi Arun Shami has charge of school education department along with personnel department.
Additional chief secretary KK Singh has charge of forest department as well as planning department. Manu Shrivastava has renewable energy and commercial tax departments. Principal secretary Neeraj Mandloi has mining department and department of cottage and handicraft. All these officers lack coordination in the departments assigned to them, which is opposite to the intentions of Nath.
Agarwal, Rao changed in few days
Principal secretary, urban administration, Pramod Agarwal and Hariranjan Rao from technical education department were removed in few days. Their departmental heads had publicly praised the works of these officers. The issue behind transfer of Agarwal was the signage installed by the road side in Smart City.
Health PS, commissioner get important postings
despite Congress raising questions on services Congress had been raising questions on the working of health department in the state for years. Health principal secretary Gauri Singh was posted in panchayat and rural development department. Pallavi Jain, who was commissioner in the same department, has been made principal secretary. Congress had made bad health services in the state as its election issue.