Dilli Ka Babu
Babu-in-chief
There are five senior Indian Administrative Service officers eligible to replace Orissa chief secretary B.K. Patnaik when he retires this month. However, sources believe that the babu most likely to be the next chief secretary is Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, secretary of finance and planning. The reason is that Mr Mohapatra enjoys a better rapport with chief minister Naveen Patnaik than others and is arguably amongst the brightest and most upright officers I have personally known.
Mr Mohapatra has had a long association with the chief minister, having been the chief minister’s principal secretary for four years. On the other hand, G.C. Pati, Nilanjan Sanyal and Hrushikesh Panda, who are senior to
Mr Mohapatra and more eligible, are on Central deputation and there are no indications that they will return to the state. The other two babus are reportedly due to retire soon, thus clearing the decks for
Mr Mohapatra’s ascension.
Transfer Pradesh
The frequent transfer of civil servants has come to be known as the “Khemka Syndrome” after the Haryana Indian Administrative Service officer Ashok Khemka. Mr Khemka hit the headlines last year for having been transferred 42 times in 20 years as also for daring to take on the high and mighty in controversial land deals. But it seems that Uttar Pradesh, under the stewardship of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, is a clear winner.
Since the Samajwadi Party came to power in the state last year, Mr Yadav has effected more than 2,000 transfers. Interestingly, he announced a May 15 deadline for bulk transfers. But the policy has already been flouted, with Mr Yadav transferring 16 top babus since then. Sources say it was done to bring back four officers said to be close to the chief minister. As for the policy, it exists but only on paper.
Goa CM sees red
A rather odd situation has developed in Goa, where none other than chief minister Manohar Parrikar is at odds with senior bureaucrats, publicly accusing them of “intimidation”. Observers say the chief minister was referring to one particular babu, Nandan Singh, a deputy secretary in the ministry for road and transport in Delhi, who shot off a letter to the state government terming Goa’s imposition of “entry fee” on vehicles from other states as “illegal”. Reportedly, he demanded that the state government withdraw this rule.
Sources say that Mr Parrikar is so incensed over the missive that he now plans to complain in writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the temerity of this official to make a demand that is rightfully not his to make. Whether Mr Parrikar gets a hearing on this matter from the Prime Minister will be known soon, but this is probably not the only example of states chaffing under firmans issued from Dilli, by mantris or babus.
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