Karnataka govt succumbs to employees’ pressure, transfers award-winning IAS officer

BENGALURU: Less than a week after he was honoured with National award for E-governance by Government of India in recognition of his instantaneous over-the-counter issuance system for caste, income, residence certificates and excellence in citizen centric delivery, IAS officer Munish Moudgil, who was commissioner of survey, settlement and land records for four and a half years, was transferred on Thursday.
Moudgil has been posted as the secretary of department of personnel and administrative reforms. He will be replaced by K V Thrilok Chandra, who was inspector general of Registration and Commissioner of Stamps.
The state government employees association was reportedly lobbying for Moudgil’s transfer.
The employees union was seeking Moudgil’s transfer after he ordered deputation of 97 surveyors to other districts. With more than a lakh survey cases pending, Moudgil wanted to clear the pending cases but it did not go down well with surveyors who were reluctant to go to other districts for 90 days.
CS Shadakshari, president of the state government employee association, also reportedly met the chief minister, appealed for Moudgil’s transfer.
The TOI on Thursday reported how Moudgil’s deputation of surveyors to clear pending survey cases had raised the employees’ hackles.
In September last year, Moudgil had been transferred after he sent a report to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against a fellow officer seeking criminal action. However, the state government brought him back as the commissioner of survey, settlement and land records within 10 days, reportedly after the BJP high comman directed it not to sideline or transfer upright and honest officials.