Three senior IAS officers, including an additional chief secretary rank, have become victim of their political bosses. They have been shunted from their key posts and have been given lesser important assignments. Their only crime was that they had refused to buckle under netas’ pressure on matter related to their departments.
Aditi Mehta, who was till now additional Chief Secretary, social justice and empowerment, has been shunted in Art and culture department, one of the very low posts for a senior IAS officer.
According to official sources, she was not pulling well along with Ashok Bairwa, Minister of the department. Bairwa, on several occasions, had made complaints to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot that Mehta hardly listen to him about his departmental matters and take decision with consulting or informing him.
Another upright officer Manjit Singh, till now Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, has been removed from his post and has been made Principal Secretary social justice empowerment department. During the recent Budget Session of the Assembly several Congress MlAs, including Parliamentary secretary Giriraj Singh Malinga, had levelled charges against him. They alleged CMD is corrupt officer. But sources said that his only crime was that he refused to follow the orders of Minister of State for Transport Virendra Beniwal on transfer of certain employees of the corporation.
During the Budget Session Singh had heated exchanges with the Minister and some MlA in the chamber of the Minister.
Sriram Meena, Managing Director of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation has been removed from the post and has appointed as Director, Horticulture Department, under the pressure of Corporation’s Chairman Randeep Dhankar, a Congress leader close to Chief Minister Gehlot.
Their tussle was over the transfer of certain officials. Sources said that Meena made it clear to Dhankar that under the rules, the Chairman has no executive powers and he could not dictate terms to him. Names of these three officers figured in the list 26 IAS officers, who were transferred on Thursday.