The transfer of whistleblower IAS officers to low profile departments seems to have put the BJP-led Haryana Government on the backfoot. Justifying the Government’s decision to transfer whistleblowers, IAS officer Pradeep Kashni to low profile department of Archives and Ashok Khemka to Archaeology and Museums Department, Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu on Thursday said that the Government has posted the IAS officers as per their abilities to these departments.
Without naming the two officers, the Minister while speaking at ‘Meet the Press’ programme said that the Archives and Archaeology Department are two important Department and needs good IAS officers.
When asked whether the BJP is following the same policy as of Congress of transferring honest IAS officers to low profile Departments, Capt. Abhimanyu claimed that the Government is giving all the facilities to IAS officers and not doing any discrimination with anyone.
less than six months of his posting in the Health Department, Haryana Government had on Wednesday again transferred senior IAS officer Pradeep Kasni as the director general and secretary of state Archives Department. This was Kasni’s 63th transfer in his career of 30 years in Haryana.
He was sent to the same Archives Department where whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka was posted by the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in 2012 after he had exposed irregularities in the Haryana Seed Development Corporation.
Earlier, the State Government had transferred whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka to a low profile Archaeology and Museums Department just four months after appointing him as state transport commissioner. The IAS officer was transferred for the 46th time in his 24 years bureaucratic career. After their transfers, both the IAS officers alleged ‘victimisation’.
Meanwhile, lashing out at previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led regime in the State, Capt Abhimanyu said that Congress Government in the state used to brag about SEZs in the state during its 10-year rule in Haryana. “Nothing has happened (on SEZ front). Not even a single SEZ could take practical shape in the state,” he claimed. He said that the State Government is considering to convert denotified special economic zones (SEZ) into industrial estates in order to boost manufacturing activity in the State.
“We have proposed in our upcoming industrial policy that denotified SEZs should be put in a separate category and be encouraged to set up industrial estates for setting up new manufacturing units in the state. Though he does not have exact number of denotified SEZs, there may be more than 100 SEZs which have been denotified in Haryana, he added.
Asserting that the state government was receiving various new investment proposals in the state, the Minister, who also holds the portfolio of Industries said that several companies like Indian Synthetic Rubber limited, mobile handset manufacturer Micromax have shown interest in investing in the state in a big way.
“Indian Oil joint venture company Indian Synthetic Rubber limited has proposed to invest `10,000 crore in Haryana. A big real estate Chinese company has also shown interest in putting in USD 1-2 billion in the state. Moreover, Chairman of mobile handset maker Micromax met me on Wednesday who also proposed to set up manufacturing facility in Haryana,” he said.
“We are also looking to explore possibility of setting up either petrochemical facility or electronic hardware facility,” said Abhimanyu, who is MlA from Narnaund.
About upcoming industrial policy, Abhimanyu, said suggestions have been sought from all stakeholders about the draft industrial policy and it is expected that it would be rolled out around July 15.
On much-delayed 136 km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway project, Haryana Industries Minister said it will be completed in two-and-a-half years time.
When asked about BJP’s failure to deliver on its poll promises like unemployment allowance, implementation of Swaminathan report among others, the Minister said that the BJP has five years to fulfill its promises and is committed to implement such promises.
On the issue of appointment of Kulbir Chhikara and Vandana Sharma as members of Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), the Minister claimed that both are eligible and deserving candidates for the position.
Notably, Vandana Sharma is the sister of Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj while Kulbir Chhikara is chief editor with Hindi daily, Hari Bhoomi, which is own by Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu. These were the first appointments that are being made to HPSC during the BJP rule in Haryana.