Before I-Day,UP draws up R-Day plan

As the nation readies to celebrate its 64th Independence Day,the UP government was taking the clock back by six months,and preparing for Republic Day.

In a Government Order released by Chief Secretary Atul Gupta to all District Magistrates in the state a few days ago,the government issued guidelines for celebrating Republic Day with grace. A link to the GO on the UP government web site,http://upgov.nic.in GO Regarding Republic Day Celebration – 2010,had the flashing fluorescent label NEW,and navigated to a pdf file containing 10 pages of guidelines.

The link was removed from the site at around 6.25 pm,about an hour after The Sunday Express called up the UP Information and Public Relations Department to seek a reaction.

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A senior official of the department said over the phone from Lucknow,I think it was the mistake of a lower-level clerk. He uploaded the old GO that was issued during Republic Day. I will have to check. The official requested anonymity.

Senior BSP leader and state party president Swami Prasad Maurya said: We will take note of the matter and take strict action against the guilty.

The order,dated January 15,2010,bearing the signatures of Chief Secretary Gupta and Secretary Divakar Tripathi,has been flashing on the UP government web site for the last few days.

The information department official pleaded that Gupta was not responsible. The chief secretary was not involved. Jisne ise upload kiya tha,main use tight karunga. I will immediately get the GO removed, the official said. Gupta is on leave and could not be contacted.

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While the official claimed that the mistake was only on the web site,and the paper circular issued to DMs mentioned Independence Day instead of Republic Day,several DMs that The Sunday Express spoke to said that this was not so.

These things happen. Sometimes they pass on an old notification without revising it, said a DM. None of the DMs agreed to be identified,however.

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