Proximity to Modi led to forced retirement,says sacked babu

Rao told The Indian Express: “It was my proximity to Chief Minister Narendra Modi after I had successfully executed his Golden Jubilee programme that irked some. Congress leaders started targeting me and my dismissal from services is a fallout of this.”

Rao had returned to Gujarat after his Central stint in 2003,taking over as Managing Director of the state tourism corporation. During his tenure in the state,he held some key posts,which included overseeing the state government’s year-long golden jubilee celebrations.

He added: “Some of my IAS colleagues and some well-placed Gujarat government officials targeted me using the Central Vigilance Commission’s opinion. The state government should have provided me a reasonable opportunity to put my case before a competent authority,but some officials in the state government instantly fixed me,even while my case is still sub-judice in the

Gujarat High Court. There are many officials against whom similar inquires are pending,but no action has been taken against them by the state or the Centre. I am taking legal opinion to challenge the state government’s order of my compulsory retirement.”

Chief Secretary A K Joti said Rao was removed from service on the basis of the Centre’s instructions. “The inquiry was related to his Central deputation while he was in Vishakhapatnam,and we have acted according to the Union government’s instructions,” Joti said.

When asked about Rao’s claim that action was taken against him despite the issue being sub-judice in Gujarat High Court,Joti said: “We have to check that up,I cannot comment on it.”

Rao had faced five inquires,some dating back to 1995. Rao was facing four cases of disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Centre following several irregularities during his tenure as Deputy Chairman and Vice-Chairman,Vishakhapatnam Port. These cases were initiated in 1995,2000 and 2008.

Inquiry in a fifth case began in July 2003 when he was on Central deputation in the Export Corporation of India.

The charges were “colluding with private contractors and other public servants to allow unjustified and arbitrary increase in transport contract rates for levy sugar and food grains”.

Recently,the Central Administrative Tribunal had ruled that Rao was not guilty in two of the inquiries against him in the Vishakhapatnam Port case.