NK'S POST

NK SINGH The opposition Congress party has objected to the extension in service given to Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary BP Singh. MPCC chief Kamal Nath complained to Election Commission this week that the BJP government was trying to “influence the process of free and fair elections” by extending Singh’s tenure by six months.  Singh was supposed to retire on June 30, but last week the government decided to delay his superannuation till the end of the year. The six month extension to the Chief Secretary would cover the period of forthcoming assembly elections, due by November this year. The Congress alleged that the Chief Secretary’s tenure was increased “to use his administrative clout” for the upcoming polls.  Although the CS was not directly involved in election work, argued Nath, “he has direct control over officers who are assigned with election duty.”  The Congress, said the letter to the EC, had “reasonable apprehension that the Chief Secretar...

NK SINGH Last week’s administrative reshuffle has catapulted Madhya Pradesh to a unique position. Now, every fifth district collector in the state is a woman. Of the 51 collectors in MP, as many as 10 are ladies. This has happened for the first time in the state. The post of a collector, although not very high in the bureaucratic hierarchy, is definitely the most visible and potent symbol of administrative power. Women officers have gained not only numerically, but in importance in the labyrinthine power structure, getting prize postings. For the first time in the history of MP, the Government has posted a woman IAS officer, Chhavi Bhardwaj (2008 batch) as collector of an important district like Jabalpur. It is her second inning as collector. Similarly, it has posted Preeti Maithil (2009 batch) to Rewa, considered a difficult district, in her second inning as collector. Shivpuri is considered a political minefield for officers. Here the government has reposed its confidence in...

Madhya Pradesh Some little known facts about OP Rawat NK SINGH Om Prakash Rawat, who takes over as Chief Election Commissioner of India on January 23, had recused himself in April 2017 from hearing cases related to Aam Admi Party. He was, at that time, the Election Commissioner. (In October that year, however, he joined back the EC's full bench for hearing the case.) Rawat's action was extraordinary, probably the first of its kind in Election Commission of India's history. He took the step after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal publicly said he did not believe in independence of two Election Commissioners ---- AK Joti, a former chief secretary of Gujarat, and OP Rawat, a retired IAS officer of MP cadre. Joti, being the senior most Election Commissioner at that time, subsequently became the Chief Election Commissioner in July. Now Rawat takes over from him. Joti served as chief secretary when Narendra Modi was chief minister of Gujarat. After he retired, ...

NK SINGH Starting 2018 on a positive note, let us try to identify public servants who made a difference to the quality of governance in MP last year.  The list is by no means exhaustive. More suggestions are welcome.   GAURAV TIWARI Officer with a backbone In March 2016, three BPL card holders of Katni received income tax notices for payment of tax on nearly Rs 25 crore deposited in their bank accounts. Police sat on their complaint. In July Gaurav Tiwari (IPS 2010 batch) took over as SP of Katni. A week later he registered a FIR into what turned out to be a Rs 500 crore hawala racket. Political circles were agog with rumours about involvement of a politician in the scam. On January 7 last year Katni police intercepted and seized a vehicle full of documents packed in 27 gunny bags. Noose was tightening. Two days later Tiwari was transferred, his second in six month. It led to a mass outpouring of support for him, with protest rallies, strikes and dharna....