Bureaucratic reshuffle begins in UP after BJP’s feedback sessions

The transfer of senior IAS officers in Uttar Pradesh comes two days after Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh and the party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Radha Mohan Singh completed feedback sessions with ministers, MLAs and state unit office bearers about the working of the state government as well as the strategy for the 2022 assembly election

The transfer of senior IAS officers in Uttar Pradesh comes two days after Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh and the party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Radha Mohan Singh completed feedback sessions with ministers, MLAs and state unit office bearers about the working of the state government as well as the strategy for the 2022 assembly election.

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During the meetings, the ministers and MLAs raised the issue of the “uncontrolled functioning” of bureaucrats, alleged involvement of some officers in corruption, besides officers not taking the calls made by the ministers, MLAs and MPs. They also claimed the appointment of officers in various departments had been made without the ministers’ consent.

The MLAs said that in several districts, the district magistrates were not informing the people’s representatives about the progress of development and welfare schemes and even matters referred by the MLAs were overlooked, said a BJP leader familiar with developments at the meetings.

Another BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said along with overhauling the bureaucracy before the 2022 assembly election, the state government had decided to fill up vacant posts in various boards, corporations and commissions. Vacancies in the BJP’s fronts, including Mahila Morcha, Yuva Morcha, Scheduled Caste Morcha, besides minority, OBC, traders’, intellectual, and legal cells, will be filled soon, too.

In the meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, the two leaders Santhosh and Singh discussed the issues raised by the ministers and MLAs regarding the bureaucracy.

Thereafter, the state government shifted 18 officers and more were likely to be transferred soon, a party leader said.

With eight months left for the assembly election, the state government does not want a tussle between officials and MLAs.

The state government faced embarrassment in the state assembly in December 2019 when several ruling party MLAs, led by BJP lawmaker from Loni in Ghaziabad, Nand Kishor Gujjar, staged a dharna (sit-in) in protest against the working of the district administration officers.

While reviewing Covid management with district magistrates and superintendents of police, the chief minister had directed the officers to hold regular meetings with people’s representatives, brief the MLAs and MPs about the progress of various health projects, hand over the list and mobile numbers of patients admitted in the hospitals to local MLAs, the party leader said.

All eyes are now on party meetings to be chaired by BJP national president JP Nadda in Delhi on June 5 and 6.

The BJP leaders will review preparations for the 2022 assembly election in UP. Along with cabinet expansion in UP, the leaders are likely to mull over the assembly election strategy.

“The initial mismanagement during the Covid second wave has damaged the image of the state government. The state unit will launch a public outreach campaign across the state as a damage control exercise,” the BJP leader said.

Six DMs among 18 IAS officers shifted

While carrying out a reshuffle in the state bureaucracy, the state government transferred 18 IAS officers including district magistrates of six districts on Thursday- Friday night.

Manoj Singh has been made the additional chief secretary (forest), MVS Rami Reddy the additional chief secretary (horticulture), Sudhir Garg the principal secretary (animal husbandry) and BL Meena the principal secretary (cooperatives).

NG Ravi has been made the Gorakhpur divisional commissioner, replacing Jayant Narlikar who has been sent to his original cadre Assam.

K Ravindra Nayak has been made principal secretary (social welfare). Mukesh Meshram has been given additional charge of director general (tourism). Subhash Chandra Sharma has been made principal secretary (higher education). Ajay Shankar Pandey has been made the divisional commissioner of Jhansi.

RK Singh has been made Ghaziabad district magistrate and Ankit Agarwal the Etah DM. Bal Krishan Tripathi has been made Amroha DM, Shailendra Singh Moradabad DM, Arvind Chaurasiya Lakhimpur Kheri DM and Umesh Mishra Bijnor DM.

RK Pandey has been posted as special secretary (excise) and Vibha Chahal has been made additional director (ICDS).