BENGALURU: BS Yediyurappa has not appointed any minister in his cabinet yet, but he has moved around 35 bureaucrats and police officers in his 12 days in office, a transfer spree that has unnerved the state machinery and prompted criticism from rivals.
The chief minister plans to carry out another round of changes even as those shunted out prematurely consider seeking court’s intervention.
Before he took charge on July 26, IAS and IPS officers had already been in a state of flux because of the volatile political scene. They have witnessed two power transitions in the past 14 months. Yediyurappa is thought to be keen on filling up crucial positions in the government and police force with people of his choice, which means most of the existing top officials are likely to be reassigned.
Those who were neglected during the previous JD(S)- Congress government are expected to get their place back in the circle of prominence, whereas those seen to be close to the two parties might be sidelined or elbowed out. Even junior or lower rank officials are fretting over their positions.
A shuffle usually follows a change of regime, but many in the state machinery are surprised by Yediyurappa’s urgency to order transfers. “Normally, the new CM selects staff for his secretariat and waits for feedback from cabinet colleagues and department heads before effecting transfers of civil servants. That’s not the case this time,” said a senior IAS officer. “Transfers are happening across departments.”
Competency is not the main consideration. Some transfers appear to be the fallout of political rivalry. HD Kumaraswamy appointed Alok Kumar as the Bengaluru police commissioner in June, but BSY has quickly replaced him. BJP leaders had expressed displeasure over the way Kumar handled the situation after the resignation of Chikkaballapur MLA D Sudhakar. “They (BJP) might have thought that Kumar was close to Kumaraswamy,” a senior police officer said.
Kumar has challenged his transfer before the CAT.
The chief minister plans to carry out another round of changes even as those shunted out prematurely consider seeking court’s intervention.
Before he took charge on July 26, IAS and IPS officers had already been in a state of flux because of the volatile political scene. They have witnessed two power transitions in the past 14 months. Yediyurappa is thought to be keen on filling up crucial positions in the government and police force with people of his choice, which means most of the existing top officials are likely to be reassigned.
Those who were neglected during the previous JD(S)- Congress government are expected to get their place back in the circle of prominence, whereas those seen to be close to the two parties might be sidelined or elbowed out. Even junior or lower rank officials are fretting over their positions.
A shuffle usually follows a change of regime, but many in the state machinery are surprised by Yediyurappa’s urgency to order transfers. “Normally, the new CM selects staff for his secretariat and waits for feedback from cabinet colleagues and department heads before effecting transfers of civil servants. That’s not the case this time,” said a senior IAS officer. “Transfers are happening across departments.”
Competency is not the main consideration. Some transfers appear to be the fallout of political rivalry. HD Kumaraswamy appointed Alok Kumar as the Bengaluru police commissioner in June, but BSY has quickly replaced him. BJP leaders had expressed displeasure over the way Kumar handled the situation after the resignation of Chikkaballapur MLA D Sudhakar. “They (BJP) might have thought that Kumar was close to Kumaraswamy,” a senior police officer said.
Kumar has challenged his transfer before the CAT.
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