Will be doc again if no Sahara, says ex-DM

‘‘You go to Benaras Hindu University and find out about me. I was a topper thoughout,’’ says Goswami, now a Senior Vice-President with Sahara.

With the Personnel Ministry now aiming to book him for breaking conduct rules and dereliction of duty for taking up another job even though his resignation has not been accepted, Goswami says even his Sahara stint is yet to take off.

‘‘So far, my joining duty is not confirmed. I have neither been given any specific work nor do I have an office for myself here,’’ he says, adding that he did not wait for his resignation to be accepted as he had a family to sustain.

‘‘How long would I have waited? I have children and family to look after,’’ says Goswami.

Meanwhile, Personnel Ministry officials have confirmed that Goswami’s October 2004 request to the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) for permission to join the Sahara Group on deputation had been rejected—service rules allow for a short-term private sector stint.

According to officials, the DOPT maintained that the government and the officer would not gain any experience or management skills by working with the company.

‘‘We will now advise the state that a charge of dereliction of duty should be made out against the officer, since he has taken up employment without being relieved,’’ a senior DOPT official told The Indian Express.

The All India Conduct Rules of 1968 clearly state that no member of any government service can take up private employment without prior sanction and permission.

Goswami, however, maintains that the rules are applicable only to retired officers or those who have completed 20 years of service and are seeking voluntary retirement. ‘‘I have not retired. I have completed only 13 and-a-half years of service,’’ says Goswami.