Most of the officers who were instrumental in conceptualising and making the first edition of Odd-even scheme a success will no more be in action during the implementation of the second phase of the scheme as they have been transferred.
It will be a big challenge for the bureaucratic leadership to ensure that the second part of the scheme is just as successful as the first one, said sources.
Parimal Rai, a 1985-batch AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories) cadre IAS officer, who was then Principal Secretary in Delhi’s Transport Department, was said to be instrumental in making the Odd-even part one a success. Now Rai has taken charge as adviser to the Chandigarh administrator.
Ankur Garg, IAS officer AGMUT 2003-batch, who was the Joint Commissioner (Transport), has also been transferred to the post of Private Secretary of P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister for Civil Aviation.
Transport Secretary Ravi Dadhich has also been transferred to Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). This means that almost the entire top machinery of the Transport Department will face the second edition of the Odd-even scheme afresh and will not have the advantage of the experience of the first edition of the scheme, said sources.
Ashwani Kumar, Environment and Forest Department Secretary and Delhi Pollution Control Committee chairperson, was the man behind the air quality monitoring plan of the Delhi Government. Kumar has, however, been transferred as well to be Secretary (Social Welfare) and will no more be leading the charge on the environment front as far as Odd-even part two is concerned.
Similarly, the officer heading the traffic unit of the Delhi Police, Dr Muktesh Chander, has also been transferred to Goa as the Director General of Police. Joint Commissioner of Police Sharad Agarwal has also been appointed as the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the CBI and may take charge at his new post in mid-April. Even he may not be in Delhi for the whole period of Odd-even scheme.
However, Agarwal clarified that the absence of those officers at the top who were leading the charge during Odd-even part one will not affect the enforcement of the scheme.
“Whoever will take charge as the Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) will have an experience of at least 18-19 years and will certainly pick up what they need to do to enforce the rules. Also, the officers on spot will be the same and there won’t be any issues as far as enforcement is concerned,” he said.
Even Kuldeep Singh Gangar, a 1990-batch DANICS officer who was behind making the car-free days successful, is no more with the Transport Department. He has not been given any charge so far. Interestingly, car-free days have turned out to be damp squib in the last couple of months.