What seems to be one of the biggest shakes in the top order of bureaucracy in Uttar Pradesh could pacify the sulking ministers up to some extent only. In July this year, a few of the ministers in the Yogi cabinet had raised their voices against the non-co-operation of the top officials in their respective departments and lodged complaints with the top bosses of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
Among these ministers were the Deputy Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and others. Taking the matter seriously the BJP high command had asked the CM as well as the state leaders to resolve the matter. Ever since the reshuffle in the top echelons of UP bureaucracy was on the card.
However, the administrative reshuffle made on Thursday could only be of partial help to those ministers who wanted it most. The officials against whom, the ministers had grudges have been removed from one department to another equally good one.
It may be mentioned that the reshuffle in the UP bureaucracy was expected after a few of the ministers had complained about the non-cooperation of officials of their respective departments. The problem had erupted during the transfer season in June and July when Deputy Chief Minister of UP, Brijesh Pathak had written a letter to his departmental ACS, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad. Dy CM had asked ACS health to give clarification as to why transfers were made without informing him. Besides a state minister in the Jal Shakti department, Dinesh Khatik had submitted his resignation to union home minister Amit Shah complaining that the officers were not listening to him. Few junior officials in Public Works Department (PWD) were removed after reports of irregularities in departmental transfers.
It is learnt that after complaints from ministers, the BJP top bosses had asked the UP CM to look into the matter and make changes in the bureaucracy.
On Thursday 16 senior IAS officers of Uttar Pradesh have been transferred. These include the powerful Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Information, Dr Navneet Sehgal who has been sent to a relatively less important sports department. Hours after the retirement of senior IAS officer Awaneesh Awasthi, who is close to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, this exercise took place. The Principal Secretary in the CM’s secretariat Sanjay Prasad has emerged as the most powerful as he has been given charge of the Home department also. Earlier Awaneesh Awasthi was at ACS Home in UP.
Most surprising was the transfer of senior IAS Navneet Sehgal who remained powerful in almost all the regimes in recent years. Currently, he was looking after charge of Information, MSME, ODOP, Export Promotion, Khadi, Silk & textile department and was supposed to be the most powerful of all bureaucrats. Now Sehgal has been stripped of all power and given charge of the Sports department only. According to top bureaucratic sources, his animosity toward a senior officer and closeness to those in the elite Delhi circle cost him dear.
In the reshuffle, the ACS secondary education, Aradhana Shukla too was removed and sent to the least important Aayush department, as she was not having cordial relations with her minister. The important department of energy would now be headed by senior IAS Mahesh Gupta who till now was ACS to the Governor.
