Taking cognisance of media reports about officers who were appointed as relief commissioner in Rudraprayag district, but were least interested to visit in disaster-affected areas, State Government appointed Dehradun DM BVRC Purushottam as relief commissioner on Thursday.
Meanwhile MDDA Vice chairman & Director General Information R Meenakshi Sundaram has been given additional charge of Dehradun DM. Purushottam had expressed his desire to work in the disaster affected areas. He would have power including administrative and financial equal to Rudraprayag DM.
It would be pertinent to mention here that before Purushottam, the State Government had appointed additional Secretary Sachin Kurve, who spent few days there and got transferred on personal reason; Secretary to Public Service Commission (PCS), Uttarakhand Ranjit Kumar Sinha there but he also managed to get transferred on personal reason.
Government had appointed Dehradun CDO Sushil Kumar Sharma as relief commissioner few days ago but he did not join till Thursday. On Thursday The Pioneer apprised CM Vijay Bahuguna about official apathy. Thereafter State Government issued an order that Purushottam is being appointed as relief commissioner.
Interestingly, bureaucrats vying to get appointed as Dehradun DM but Purushottam took challenge to serve in disaster affected areas. As state government issued an order of his appointment as relief commissioner in Guptkashi then he immediately handed over the charge of DM to Sundaram and left for new challenge.
Chief Minister has categorically made it clear that the State Government would try to re-open Kedarnath shrine, which is closed since cloudburst on June 16-17, so Purushottam would have major challenge to execute the restoration work of Kedarnath shrine. If he manages to restore the situation at Kedarnath then Congress led State Government would take sigh of relief and Purushottam would be seen as a hero for this.
State Government has also cancelled two transfer orders including Tehri CDO Sabin Bansal, who was appointed as CDO, Pithoragarh, Uday Singh Rana, who was transferred as ADM Champawat, has been transferred as Deputy Mukhya Nagar Adhikari.