Rights activist Ajay Dubey on Thursday urged Governor Ram Naresh Yadav to cancel permission for IAS officers’ service meet in view of Model Code of Conduct and red alert sounded after the Peshawar terror attack.
Dubey in a letter addressed to the Governor said that due to the panchayat elections in the State model code of conduct was in force, besides a red alert had been sounded in the country after the terrorist attack in Peshawar. In these circumstances it would not be appropriate for the divisional and districts administrative heads to leave their headquarters for three days, he added.
Dubey further said that the permission granted to the Collectors, Commissioners and other IAS officers to attend the meet through a circular by the General Administrative Department (GAD) was in itself laughable as it says that the all the permission to attend the meet was given with the condition that Commissioners and Collectors would leave the headquarters only after taking prior stock of the law and order situation of their respective division and district. And after taking part in the meet from December 19 to 21 they would immediately return to their respective head quarters and would resume their duties anyhow on December 22, he added.
He said that the sources in the Government have informed him that during the three-day meet Chief Minister would host dinner for the visiting IAS officers, that was when the model code was in-force. It had also come to light that this would hamper the free and fair election process, hence the Governor had been urged to interfere and instruct the State Government to cancel its order for the meet as the atmosphere was not at all favourable for the senior officials to leave their headquarters, he added.
He also charged that the State Election Commissioner had amazingly failed to take cognizance of the issue despite being a former chief secretary.