The State Government on Tuesday removed Chief Secretary Sajal Chakravorty replacing him with Rajiv Gauba hours after the former indulged himself in unseemly talks with Chief Minister Raghubar Das during a high-level review meeting with the top administrative and police officials at SKIPA auditorium. According to a notification issued by the State Government, 1982-batch IAS officer Rajiv Gauba, presently posted as Joint Secretary (North-East Affairs) with the Government of India, will replace Chakravorty as Chief Secretary. Chakravorty has been shunted to the Civil Aviation department as Additional Chief Secretary.
According to a source present in the meeting, Chakravorty created a scene during the review meeting when the Chief Minister was directing the IGs and DIGs to ensure they discharge their responsibilities honestly. “There is no need to fix a target for the senior officers who are supposed to know their responsibilities. The role of the headquarters should be to ensure that they discharge their duty,” he added.
Normally, the Chief Minister’s word is final and nobody challenges his instruction. But, according to sources, Chakravorty interfered and said that a target will be fixed and monitored by the headquarters. Reacting to his comment, the CM said that they are senior officers and they know their duties better. The CS, finding offended, told the CM, “let me finish ‘Boss’... I feel humiliated… I will walk out.”
The CM also retorted and said, “He was free to do so.” Hearing that, the CS got up and started leaving the meeting, but other officers present there somehow pacifying the matter convinced him to stay back. Sources close to the CM also claimed that he was not satisfied with the working of Chakravorty, especially after his statement given on rooting-out Naxalism from the State within three months. Chakravorty had given an ultimatum to the Naxal outfits either to surrender before the police or ready to face the bullet of the security forces.
The CS opening a front against the People’s liberation Front of India (PlFI), had directed Khunti SP to finish them at any cost following which Operation Karo was launched in Khunti and its adjoining districts of lohardaga, Simdega, Gumla and Chaibasa in July last year. Operation Karo-II was again launched on January 8 this year to complete the job left during operation Karo-I immediately after Raghubar Das took charge as the new CM.