NAVEENA GHANATE
Hyderabad
The Election Commission’s move to shunt many IAS and IPS officers in Telangana for laxity in work has not gone down well with officials. Dr TK Sreedevi, the Secretary of the Finance Department, took to Twitter and asked, “How can an officer who took charge just three working days before the CEC’s visit to the state be held responsible for the department’s performance? Just asking?”.
She even gave details of the Rs 42 crore GST scam unearthed after she took charge.
TK Sreedevi, a 2004 batch IAS officer, was appointed as the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes on September 25 and ECI officials visited Telangana from October 3 to 5.Listing other reasons for transfers in an official communication, the EC said that the performance of some officers was “unsatisfactory” and that they were found “complacent, if not complicit” on various matters, including the illegal supply of liquor as a possible poll inducement.
An IAS officer said, “I was surprised to hear this. This looks like targeting local officers who hail from the state. All the officers are from Telangana. We were told not to be given election postings. Let’s see if we get any other postings. I don’t think this will affect our Annual Confidential Report (ACR).”
Many officials raised concerns about transfers and said that they were based on inputs given by “some political parties.” A senior police officer who was transferred asked how come three days were enough for the ECI to assess an official. “Only after the Model Code of Conduct is announced checks and seizures are carried out. So, how can they make decisions based on ‘poor performance,” he asked.
Another police officer said that during meetings the ECI was not willing to listen to explanations but marked unsatisfactory answers as the reason for transfers.
A day after the transfers were announced, the BRS brass met at the Pragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad and finalised the list of officials sought by the ECI. The office of the Chief Secretary finalised the list of IPS officers and gave it to the ECI.
