Opposition flays shuffle of bureaucrats
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 15 — The major bureaucratic reshuffle undertaken by the Vajpayee government came under attack today even as the Defence Minister maintained the moves were not linked to the threat of the AIADMK to review support to the ruling coalition at the Centre.

Leaders of several opposition parties today criticised the reshuffle and charged it was done to save the Vajpayee government.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Sharad Pawar, said that "such a trading" has never been witnessed in politics so far.

"It is only for the sake of clinging to power" he told reporters outside Parliament House.

The Samajwadi Party leader, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, while criticising the moves said it would be better to approach those who are carrying out the reshuffle under pressure from the allies for comments.

The Janata Dal leader, Mr Mohan Prakash, said the transfers reflected the nervousness in the ruling coalition which he said was fighting for its survival in office.

The Vajpayee government effected a major reshuffle last night by shifting 17 secretary-level officers.

The move came just a day after the Chief of the Enforcement Directorate, Mr Bezboruah was reverted to his parent cadre, Delhi as Transport Commissioner, which led to sharp criticism from opposition parties.

Not linked to Jaya threat: George

NEW DELHI, Aug 15 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today categorically said the major secretary-level reshuffle last night was in no way linked to AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha’s threat to review support to the government on the Cauvery issue.

Mr Fernandes told reporters that he had not gone to Chennai to offer any package to Ms Jayalalitha. "Neither did she ask for any package nor did she make transfer of Enforcement Directorate chief M.K. Bezboruah an issue," he said when asked to comment on the reshuffle and his recent visits to Chennai.

Mr Fernandes said he met the AIADMK leader to remove "misunderstandings" on various issues, including Cauvery.

The Defence Minister, who airdashed to Chennai yesterday to meet the AIADMK leader for the second time in two days, said he would be briefing Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the outcome of his discussion with Ms Jayalalitha.

The Centre notified the scheme for the implementation of the interim award of the Cauvery water tribunal notwithstanding a threat from Ms Jayalalitha, who demanded notification of the original draft scheme empowering the monitoring committee with statutory powers.

Admitting that Ms Jayalalitha had a point on the sensitive Cauvery issue, Mr Fernandes said the agreement had been arrived at by the chief ministers of the four basin states during their meeting with the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court was yet to pronounce its ruling. Moreover, the final award of the tribunal was awaited, he said.

Asked if the crisis facing the Vajpayee government was over (with the administrative reshuffle having been carried out), Mr Fernandes retorted, "Which crisis?"

The Samata Party leader said it would be wrong to say that there was any pressure on the government to carry out the bureaucratic shake-up.

To a question he said there was no threat to the government now. "I feel there was never any threat to the government in the past also," he said.

Asked if certain remarks in the speech of President K.R. Narayanan were uncomfortable for the government, Mr Fernandes said the President was simply explaining his views on some national issues.

Mr Narayanan had regretted that the Vajpayee government had failed to fulfil its promise of providing 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Mr Fernandes said, "What can we do? We had made a commitment which we could not carry out.’’