Overheard In Bhopal: Wayward Officer, Departure Certain, Causing Troubles, Big Bucks & More

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh):

Wayward officer

A woman IAS officer in the state has sparked discussions in the corridors of power these days. The government has transferred her six times in three years. The officer may have elicited sympathy by making a post in her WhatsApp group, but only a few officers backed her. Senior bureaucrats called up those officers who wrote posts in Madam’s support, telling them her stories and advising them to keep away from supporting her. She often picks a fight with her seniors in the departments where she gets a posting. When Madam worked under a retired officer, she stopped his petrol bills. As she also stopped the funds for tribal people, the government removed her. During her posting in a district, she did not allow a minister to hold a meeting. She already crossed swords with an additional chief secretary and a principal secretary. None of the officers want her to be in their departments because of her waywardness.

Ye bhi kam Nahin!

Another woman officer behaves capriciously. The government recently transferred her from a department. She used her clout to get a posting to the department, from where the administration removed her. The transfer enraged the officer. Before her removal, she had fought with the secretary of the department. The officer ignored the orders of the minister and the secretary and served notices on several employees of the department on the same day and in the same language. Things turned interesting when she came to know that her colleagues orchestrated her transfer. So, after her shifting, she deprived an officer of an important assignment during the allotment of work. The officer, too, has clout. So, he had the order, issued by Madam, cancelled within a few hours. Now, the officers search for the orders issued by Madam before her transfer in other cases. When the Congress ruled the state, she ignited a debate during her posting in a district. As a result, some important BJP leaders staged a sit-in against her.

Departure certain

The departure of a collector from a profitable district looks certain. Not much time has passed since the administration posted him to the district, but now, the higher-ups remain peeved with him. The government has many reasons to be unhappy with him. A plant, belonging to a close aide of a union minister, has set the tone for the government’s anger towards the collector. He acted against the plant on the basis of certain complaints. The issue, reaching the higher-ups, has caused trouble for the collector. Besides, a powerful person appears to cross with Sahib’s attitude in some cases. The powerful person runs a project in the district. The complaints made by close aides of the powerful person have made waves for the collector. Another issue has emerged against the officer. People in the corridors say the officer follows the policy of ‘walk alone’, which has stirred things up for him. Now, he wants to leave the district and go to another place.

Causing troubles

The collector of an important district has become a problem for the government. The district has hit media headlines these days. The collector has failed to handle the issues. As not much time has passed since the government posted him there, senior officers remain opposed to transferring him. A video showing the collector dodging the questions raised by the media has gone viral, indicating the officer's nervousness. The RSS stays active in the district. The organisation discussed the problems relating to the place at a recent meeting where a functionary of a Sangh-affiliated outfit said the collector had failed to tackle the issues. The leaders of the ruling party in the district advised the government to post an experienced officer as a collector there. Some senior officers informed the government that the problems of the district can be solved through dialogues between politicians, common men, and officers. The collector being inexperienced stirred up troubles.

Big bucks

An IAS officer had to spend a lot of money recently. He committed some irregularities in the department where he works. Some people came to know of his deeds, and the officer thought the issue might trigger troubles for him. Thus, he began to lobby to get out of the mess. Sahib found out the people, acquainted with his wrong deeds. He contacted those people through an acquaintance and shut their mouth, spending a lot of money. Sahib also discussed the issue with the department’s suppliers through whom the information leaked. He assured them of allotting some work. Because of the officer’s efforts, the controversy has died down. An expert in making carrots, he remains scared. So, some people took advantage of his frear.

Incurring wrath

Bade Sahib’s annoyance has weighed heavily on an IAS officer. He worked with Bade Sahib in a department some time ago. The Bade Sahib, who headed the department then, remained unhappy with the officer’s integrity and style of working. The administration had planned to shift him from the department, but a senior officer saved him. It is unfortunate for the officer that the government has passed on the command of the state bureaucracy to his former boss. In this situation, the government has removed the officer from an important department and sent him to the loop line in the recent administrative reshuffle. The government received some complaints against this officer in a case. Posting in the loop line has saddened the officer who wants to go to the centre on deputation. So, he focuses on getting an NOC.