Friday, 15 April 2022 | Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
Transfer Tangle
Education minister Dhan Singh Rawat’s order to the Babus of the department to study the transfer policies of Haryana government and Kendriya Vidyalayas and come up with a new policy of transfers for the biggest department of the state implies that the BJP government is planning either to do away with the Uttarakhand Annual Transfer of Public Servants Act- 2017 of its own government in the Himalayan state or make it redundant. The act was prepared with great deliberations and was introduced by the Trivendra Singh Rawat led BJP government with much fanfare. The act brought with an objective to end the practice of favouritism in the ever contentious process of transfers of the government employees had its shortcomings but it has at least been successful in setting up a semblance of order in the otherwise shoddy business of transfers. One wonders what the Education minister intends to achieve by implementing a new policy when an act duly passed by the state legislature is already in existence in the state on the matters of transfers. Any discrepancy in the act can be corrected by bringing an amendment in the state assembly.
Fleeing the fire
In what can be termed as the best example of shirking of responsibility at the highest level, the minister concerned and the top Babu of the forest department have gone on leaves when raging forest fires are gutting the jungles of the state. Left headless and directionless, the department’s officers and employees are doing their best to douse the fires which are continuing to flare in different parts of the state. The summer season is the time when the incidents of fire in the forests increase and this time of the year is considered as the time of emergency in the department. The officers and the employees of the department remain on their toes during the entire fire season to save the precious forest wealth from turning to ashes. Every year a ban is imposed on the leaves of the employees during the fire season. However one understands that the rules are for the lesser mortals and not for the lawmakers and powerful officers.
Congress’ cacophony
Draggers are out in the Uttarakhand Congress after the party high command decided to hand over the reins of the state unit to young Karan Mahara and selection of turncoat turned faithful Yashpal Arya as the leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP). Interestingly apart from slugging it out against each other, the warring factions of the party are united in venting out their anger on the party high command for not taking any action on the state in-charge of the party as according to them his style of functioning created a deep wedge in the party that sent it into the shambles in the recent assembly elections. Restless after the shocking defeat many leaders of the party including MLAs are worried about their future in the state which is continuing to show unflinching affinity for BJP in successive elections (Lok Sabha 2014, 2019 and Vidhan Sabha 2017, 2022). If the rut is not stemmed immediately one may witness another round of defection in the grand old party which would weaken it further.
