State Government today issued a show cause notice against senior IAS officer Vandana Dadel asking her to furnish her explanation to the notice within 15 days. The notice followed after Dadel, Secretary of Panchayati Raj Department expressed her views on Facebook.
Personnel department sources confirmed that Dadel has been served the notice stating that her action was not in accordance with All India Service conduct rules. The Government has asked her to furnish an explanation, failing which it would be forced to take an ex parte decision, sources added.
Dadel had written on her Facebook wall – “A question arises in the mind when questions are raised during an official programme about the religion of tribals, and on religious conversion. Does a tribal have no right to choose a religion of his/her choice with respectIJ Why all of a sudden have people started thinking about the religion of tribalsIJ The fact is that the society is suffering from many other serious issues like malnutrition, illiteracy, unemployment.”
The Government is facing criticism from several quarters for statements being issued on religious conversions by responsible persons in the Government from their official positions.