As Bihar Minister-Secretary battle of attrition hots up, Nitish, Lalu step in

Hitting back, the department has banned the entry of the minister’s personal secretary to its offices, even as it also initiated the process of his removal from the post.

While Chandra Shekhar and Pathak have avoided locking horns with each other directly, their sparring has came out in the open with their officials’ correspondence with each other leaked to the media.

The minister has reportedly been upset with Pathak for introducing “media-attention seeking measures” such as barring employees from wearing jeans and T-shirt at the workplace, among other things. On its part, the education department was said to have not agreed with the minister on a host of annual transfers of officials, which were put on hold upsetting him.

After meeting Lalu, Chandra Shekhar sought to downplay the issue, telling reporters there was no controversy in the department. When asked whose position is superior – the minister or the ACS – he said, “Every one knows whose position is superior as per the Constitution.”

Besides meeting Chandra Skehkhar, Nitish also met Pathak later in the day in a move to resolve the row.

Pathak was recently in the news for having impose a fine on the cleaning and sanitation agency hired by the department. The Education Department has also introduced a system of routine and random inspection of schools to cut down on truancy and ensure quality education.

Although the tension between the minister and the ACS had been simmering for some time, it came to a head on July 4, when the minister’s office sent a scathing letter to Pathak. It read: “I am directed to convey that the minister has observed over a few days that the department has been in media for negative news… The department has been more in news for ‘kadak, sidha karne, nut and bolt tight karne (being strict and taking stringent action against errant employees), cleaning, dress code…nakel kasne (bringing some to book), deducting salaries and suspending employees….”

“Lots of negative news have angered the minister and he now wants ‘Robinhoods’ and ‘actors’ among officers to be punished,” the letter further stated. Although the letter was not signed by anyone, it was believed to have been written by the minister’s personal secretary Krishna Nand Yadav.

Responding on behalf of the department, its Director (Administration) Subodh Kumar Chaudhary wrote back to Yadav, stating that his letter was “useless”.

Chaudhary ‘s letter told Yadav that the department has already initiated the process for his removal and that “his entry to the department had been barred”. It also sought to know the details of Yadav’s PhD degree on the basis of which he uses the title of “Dr” in his name.

The department’s letter to Yadav also read: “Over the past one week, you have written different kinds of yellow notes/ letters to various officials. This is despite the fact that you were cautioned against it because you are personal secretary (non-government) and you are not supposed to interact with department officials directly… It seems you have no work in the minister’s cell.”

There have been some differences between the two major ruling allies, the JD(U) and the RJD, over the minister-secretary conflict. While RJD spokesperson and Maner MLA Bhai Birendra said that “KK Pathak should be reined in”, JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar hailed Pathak as a “well-meaning and upright” officer.

RJD sources said while taking up the matter with Lalu Prasad, Chandra Shekhar sought his intervention and was reassured.

Pathak had played a key role in framing the prohibition legislation in 2016. He was brought in the Education Department by Nitish with a view to undertake education reforms. A fortnight ago, Pathak has written to the Raj Bhavan, saying “no” to the Governor-cum-Chancellor’s proposal to introduce the four-year degree course.