M A I N   N E W S

‘Vigilance targeting’ row splits HP babus
Tribune News Service

CM’s take CM Virbhadra Singh (pic) said the Resident Commissioner’s post was not a cadre IAS post but linked with the pay scale. “Any All India Service officer can be appointed as an RC,” he said. The appointment of an IPS officer as RC was not a departure from precedent.

Shimla, July 29
Vigilance inquiries were not new and often happened with a regime change, said a group of Himachal bureaucrats on Tuesday. The state IAS officers’ association — which had on Monday decided to approach the government against “babus being targeted by the vigilance bureau” — now seems to be divided.

Dissenting views have also emerged in the state IAS officers’ association over raising voice against posting of an IPS officer as Resident Commissioner (RC) in Delhi. The association is yet to take a final stand on these two issues.

While some bureaucrats in a meeting held yesterday expressed their anger over IAS officers being chargesheeted by vigilance officials, some members of the association today said “such vendetta tactics” were not unusual with the change of regime. “Inquiries by the vigilance bureau are not new. With the change of regime, these things happen...If one has acted in accordance with the rules, there’s nothing to fear. Those who have obliged political bosses in violation of norms to get plum postings will have to pay a price,” an IAS officer said.

The appointment of a Resident Commissioner against a cadre post was also not unusual, said some members, pleading anonymity.

“During the BJP rule, an IFS officer was posted as Secretary, Environment, which, too, is a cadre post,” they said. “Neither did the association resent the move then nor when an efficient IAS officer Manisha Sridhar was victimised and virtually bullied into resigning,” said another officer. With split clearly out in the open, it now remains to be seen whether the association will formally convey its views to the government or not. The association is also likely to elect its new body at its next meeting.