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Journalism of Courage
Over the last three months,at least four IAS officers have been transferred out of their departments in West Bengal. Each of them had objected to the way work was being done in their departments. In the process,three of them are said to have upset the minister in charge. One of the ministers has denied any such tiff with the officer in his department,another has refused to discuss it,while the third has described the officer concerned as a misfit.
Banerjee,an officer of the 1981 batch,was additional chief secretary in charge of fire and emergency services . He has been shifted as chairman,State Valuation Board,which Writers sources describe as a most insignificant post.
He argued over many issues with Fire Services Minister Javed Ahmed Khan,who insists he had no role in the transfer. Banerjee had questioned the practice of renewal of the departments no-objection certificates to various establishments,as there is no provision for that in the Fire Service Act.
Banerjee also opposed the way 2,268 home guard volunteers were recruited,alleging that the procedure was introduced to accommodate party cadres. Sources said the minister formed a four-member enrolment committee headed by S L Bhakat,a retired IAS officer reinstated in the department,and the rules for selection were relaxed. For example,the earlier benchmark was running 800 metres in 3 minutes but this was relaxed to 400 metres in 1 minute.
Banerjee reportedly sent a strong note to the minister. On June 30,he was transferred,with the recruitment he protested yet to be done. This government promised a clean administration but what is going on now is just the opposite, Banerjee told The Indian Express.
Minister Khan,on the other hand,praised Banerjee while playing down the controversy. Banerjee is a good and honest officer. I had no problem with him, Khan said. In fact,I did not play any role in his transfer.
Venkatraman,who belongs to the 1984 batch,was the next one transferred. As principal secretary of the refugee and rehabilitation department,she had reportedly fallen out with minister of state Nanjul Krishna Thakur. She has taken him on over the sale of land under her department at nominal prices. This included land at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district and Indira Nagar Congress Colony on the Eastern Metroploitan Bypass. Sources say she had objected to the way the ministers personal staff members were making the decisions in the department. She has been transferred and made commissioner,Presidency division.
Minister Thakur told The Indian Express,I dont want to make any comment on this issue at this moment.
Gupta,who belongs to the 1990 batch,has been moved from the high-profile post of MD,Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation. He is said to have objected to plans for diversion of the new Metro route,which will start from Salt Lake and end at Howrah Maidan via a tunnel under the Hooghly.
The major bone of contention was the setting up of a station at Bowbazaar,called Mahakaran,which required the eviction of families and shops. With people going to court,the government decided on diversion rather than eviction,a plan that has met with objections from the Japan International Co-operation Agency,which is providing a loan for the project.
According to insiders in the government,Gupta said in a note that the diversion would cause a cost escalation of Rs 450 crore over the existing Rs 1,500 crore,and a delay of at least four more years. An agreement between the affected parties and the government was almost ready. But it was stalled, a government source said.
Gupta was stripped not only of the post of of MD,KMRC,but also of that of MD,State Highway Authority Ltd. He is now principal secretary,public enterprises and industrial reconstruction. Principal secretary,transport,B P Gopalika played down the transfer,saying,I dont think Mr Guptas transfer has anything to do with the route change in the Metro.
Syed Ahmad Baba,of the 1988 batch,was commissioner,food,an assignment he had taken over on July 30. He had reportedly objected to the re-employment of Joydeb Jana as director of district procurement services,and to the tendering process in the department. He was a total misfit in my department, minister Jyotipriya Mullick told The Indian Express. Baba has been transferred as principal secretary,cooperation.
