RTI activist casts aspersions on BJP government on Bureaucrats’ Postings

Punjab Newsline: Simla: Saturday, June 02, 2012.

The RTI activist Ashish Bhattacharya cast aspersions on the postings of bureaucrats by BJP government calling it violation of  rules, norms  and laws of the land.

He has written a complaint letter to the Chief Secretary of the state government referring to recent postings of IAS officers,questioning the service rules as per the Department of Personnel  and Training, the District Magistrate can not be given the additional charge of a  department.

“A matter of surprise in this posting is that  Arun Kumar Sharma is allowed to continue or hold the additional charge of the Director of Tourism. This decision of the government  is only one of its kind –not only in in the State but in the country also. No Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate in the country is holding any other charge except that pertaining to his or her district. In fact, as per DOP&T sources no Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate can be given the charge of any other department because that may create a conflict of the interest between the two duties,” said Mr. Bhattacharya . in the letter addressed to the Chief Secreatary.

Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, he had asked the state government to immediately relieve Arun Sharma of one of two charge he holding at present.

He slammed Dhumal Government for scapegoating the principles of governance in the name of public interests.

“It is also a matter of surprise to see the removal of Manish Garg  within 30 days of his appointment as D.C. Shimla. What was the great public interest behind this move is only a matter of presumption? I can only say that the principles of governance ceases to happen in Himachal Pradesh,” questions the RTI activist.

He also cited an example of an IAS officer Manisha Nanda  holding three positions  in Tourism MD,  HP Tourism Corporation; Director Tourism and Secretary Tourism, which are otherwise to maintain the “checks and balances mode” of each other and no individual officer can hold these three positions simultaneously .

The RTI activist expressed concern over the erosion of the institution of bureaucracy in Himachal Pradesh, which the present BJP government has beset.