THE AXE may fall on officers who have been found lax or have indulged in irregularities in implementing government schemes as Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav reviews on Friday the reports that senior IAS officers have submitted about their experiences during their night halts in villages in different districts on December 13 and 14, 2005.
A meeting of all officers who went on the night halts has been convened at Tilak Hall on Friday. While officers are expected to brief him on their experiences, the chief minister may also give a piece of his mind to officers about the manner in which many of them have dealt with the village night stay programme.
A close scrutiny of some reports submitted by officers showed gross irregularities in implementation of government schemes and how rules were being flouted in rural engineering service and other departments functioning in these areas. Officers have also given their findings about reports of attendance of teachers, doctors and support staff at their respective schools and primary health centres, etc.
Many of them have already recommended suspension or ordered a probe against a few officers responsible for implementation of government schemes. A number of them have submitted more than one report. Some have assured help to needy, poor and handicapped, while others have recommended action on demands of villagers that were brought to the notice of officers during their night stay there.
The chief minister is likely to grant approval on the recommendation of officers whom he had given a clear mandate before they went to districts. In some cases officers have carried respective district magistrates’ recommendations for a probe against officers responsible for lapses or carrying out the irregularities.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister is likely to grant approval on the recommendation of officers whom he had given a clear mandate before they went to districts. In some cases officers have carried respective district magistrates’ recommendations for a probe against officers responsible for lapses or carrying out the irregularities.
{{/usCountry}}Significantly, the chief minister had also asked officers to give a bureaucratic feedback on public perception about district officers and also political bosses. It is learnt that officers have refrained from submitting their reports on political issues. There are, however, indirect references about association of some officers with anti-social elements, how some officers were functioning under pressure and how it was making an impact on development programmes. There are indications that officers may bring such issues to the chief minister’s notice when they meet him in the days to come.
At the same time, some senior officers had reportedly opted not to stay in village panchayats or school buildings and stayed in government guesthouses.
The chief minister is learnt to have taken a note of such cases. Will he express his displeasure? It would be watched with keen interest.