The two Congress ministers’—Yogendra Sao and Geetashree Oraon— public admission that they had been instrumental for the recent transfers of at least two senior IPS officers and a DSP rank officer have run counter to what the Supreme Court recently said that the States should take reformatory measures for insulating them from political interference.
A good number of IAS and IPS officers of Jharkhand cadre have already ‘managed’ to secure central deputation in past the 13 years since the State was created in 2000. And, despite scarcity of senior officials, very few want to come back to the State.
Agriculture Minister Yogendra Sao has said on record that IG (Provision) RK Mallick and Ranchi SSP Saket Kumar Singh were transferred at his behest following the incident of JSCA stadium where the two officers objected the entry of Sao’s bodyguards with their arms inside the stadium complex. While Mallick has been shifted to Palamau, Singh has been shunted to a non-cadre post at Police Training College, Hazaribagh.
The State Government is also said to have ordered a judicial inquiry into their ‘misconduct’ with the minister during a cricket match at the JSCA stadium.
Basia SDPO Deepak Kumar was reportedly transferred to Ranchi in Jharkhand Jaguar just after two days when HRD Minister Geetashree Oraon threatened to not let him remain in the department any more asking him to pack his baggage.
Depressed with the incident, Kumar wrote a letter to the DGP Rajiv Kumar complaining against Oraon.
According to several retired officials, the bureaucracy has got de-motivated and also politicised over time due to the prevailing situation. “Hostile political environment for bureaucrats has become a cause of concern for the State,” they added.
“When the system does not function properly and there is political interference and criss-cross in seniority levels, it is bound to affect the morale of the officials in the State,” said former state DGP GS Rath.
Rath, however, said that the problem is not limited to Jharkhand only and bureaucrats have to bear the brunt of the politicians in other states also, but the problem is more acute in Jharkhand due to poor leadership, vested interest of politicians and highly politicised bureaucracy.
“Such things adversely affect the morale of an official who wants to perform honestly in the State,” added Rath.
Rath said, fragmented bureaucracy in the state adds fuel to the problem due to which such things get encouraged here. “Some people may feel demoralized, but at the same time some officers may be enjoying it,” he added.
Though he did not elaborate, it is no secret how some of the bureaucrats and police officers have enjoyed a paid holiday in Jharkhand with novice politicians at the helms of affairs.
Another retired DGP V D Ram also believes that transfers and postings must be done according to the requirement and not to harass the officials.
“It directly affects the morale of the officer who is unnecessarily transferred at the reference of any politician,” said Ram. “It is the time when they start thinking that why one should work hard if he could be removed at the behest of any politician,” he added.
“This is the reason that more and more bureaucrats in Jharkhand are opting for central deputation and once he is out from here, they never want to return,” Ram added.
“This is high time that the government should take a pause and think over it as what has happened in the last few months should not have happened,” said Ram.
Earlier also, the then Khunti SP Manoj Kaushik was misbehaved by an MlA in 2011 and again in 2012, JMM MlA Paulus Surin misbehaved with the then Khunti SP M Tamil Venan. Both had registered a written complaint with the police headquarters but no action was taken against any of the MlAs.