 "Why Akhilesh is in a spot over Durga")
About a year ago, then newly-appointed chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, had openly intimidated bureaucrats in the state to either work for his government or face serious repercussions. "Uttar Pradesh chief minister… warned officials not working in line with the priorities of the UP government and said serious action would be taken against them," Yadav was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the state information and public relations department on July 15, 2012.
At that time, many senior bureaucrats had dismissed the order, without much consideration. They believed they had nothing to lose, especially when the novice chief minister and scion of the Samajwadi Party, was forced to eat his words publicly, owing to interference from senior party members.
The bureaucrats, under a tight grip during the term of Yadav's predecessor Mayawati, suddenly sensed an opportunity and began to wield their own influence. Yadav barely had any control over them, obediently adhering to the dictates of his father and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, as well as those of his influential uncles. But the free run of the powerful civil servants seems to have been stunted, with controversy brewing over the suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal, a 2009 batch officer of the Indian Administration Services (IAS).
It is an open secret in Uttar Pradesh that Samajwadi Party is scared of losing its minority votes to the Congress and the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) in the coming general elections. The party acted desperately to protect its vote bank by giving a communal colour to a petty incident," he said, adding, "It was a stern message to IAS and IPS (Indian Police Services) officers to fall in line and close their eyes to plunder."
The IAS officers' association has asked for the revocation of Nagpal's suspension.
The Samajwadi Party government, voted to power with a thumping majority in 2012, has been struggling to maintain law and order in the state of about 200 million people. The government has been accused of anarchy and the party is increasingly becoming unpopular in the state.
"An honest officer was suspended because she was acting tough on the mining mafia," a senior state officer told Business Standard, on condition of anonymity. "We believe the state government killed two birds with one stone by linking it to communal harmony. She was acting tough on those party men, including an influential Muslim leader, who were allegedly involved in the illegal mining of sand." According to media reports, Rs 100-200 crore changes hands from the proceeds of illegal mining and this money is ostensibly used to fund election campaigns.
Business Standard could not independently verify the allegations. However, a report from the Indian Bureau of Mines indicates despite a large number of illegal mining incidents in Uttar Pradesh, the state government didn't file a criminal or first information report (FIR) until June 2012. Data after June 2012 isn't available.
In 2012 (till June), 3,266 cases of illegal mining were reported from Uttar Pradesh, against 4,708 and 4,641 in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Neither an FIR nor a court case was filed for any of the incidents, though the government collected Rs 2,433 lakh in fines.
Ironically, states with fewer reported incidents have collected more fines and were proactive in initiating legal action. For instance, in the corresponding periods, 64, 123 and 277 cases of illegal mining were reported, respectively, from Tamil Nadu. Since 2009, the state registered 1,528 FIRs, filed 561 court cases and collected Rs 6,573 lakh in fines.
Incidentally, on two occasions, Akhilesh Yadav had instructed the state machinery to stop illegal mining and its transport. On July 30, 2012, he instructed districts magistrates to take tough measures against the mining mafia. "He also warned officers that any laxity in this would not be tolerated," read a communique from the state information bureau.
A few months later, the chief minister used more terse words. "Action would also be initiated against officials who were not initiating action against illegal mining," threatened a press release dated December 16, 2012.
Though media reports infer Yadav suspended Nagpal due to her clamp-down on the sand mafia, the chief minister has strongly refuted the charges. Incidentally, Nagpal had got 20 FIRs registered and impounded as many as 30 truckloads of illegal sand. "She took steps that had to be punished. The government was correct to remove her," Yadav told reporters in Lucknow. He maintained she was suspended for endangering communal harmony. Earlier, he had defended the bureaucrat's suspension, saying Nagpal had ordered the demolition of a portion of a mosque, which might have resulted in disturbing peace in the area.
"She was suspended without an inquiry and without being given a chance to explain herself," rues a senior official. "Even the intelligence reports emanating from the state police headquarters did not indicate any communal tension due to her actions on July 25, 26 and 27."
A report from her immediate superior and district magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar has exonerated her of any dereliction in duty.
Many in the state feel that Yadav's decision to suspend Nagpal on communal grounds doesn't hold much water.
According to home ministry statistics, in the 10 months ended October 2012, Uttar Pradesh recorded 104 incidents of communal violence that left 34 people dead and 456 injured. This included three major riots. But how many IAS and IPS officers were suspended for failing to perform their jobs, the officer asked.
At that time, many senior bureaucrats had dismissed the order, without much consideration. They believed they had nothing to lose, especially when the novice chief minister and scion of the Samajwadi Party, was forced to eat his words publicly, owing to interference from senior party members.
The bureaucrats, under a tight grip during the term of Yadav's predecessor Mayawati, suddenly sensed an opportunity and began to wield their own influence. Yadav barely had any control over them, obediently adhering to the dictates of his father and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, as well as those of his influential uncles. But the free run of the powerful civil servants seems to have been stunted, with controversy brewing over the suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal, a 2009 batch officer of the Indian Administration Services (IAS).
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Lucknow-based political analyst and advocate Indra Bhushan Singh said the state government was trying to threaten officers in a bid to have complete control over them. "She was the weakest in the chain of command and, hence, became an easy target.
It is an open secret in Uttar Pradesh that Samajwadi Party is scared of losing its minority votes to the Congress and the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) in the coming general elections. The party acted desperately to protect its vote bank by giving a communal colour to a petty incident," he said, adding, "It was a stern message to IAS and IPS (Indian Police Services) officers to fall in line and close their eyes to plunder."
The IAS officers' association has asked for the revocation of Nagpal's suspension.
The Samajwadi Party government, voted to power with a thumping majority in 2012, has been struggling to maintain law and order in the state of about 200 million people. The government has been accused of anarchy and the party is increasingly becoming unpopular in the state.
"An honest officer was suspended because she was acting tough on the mining mafia," a senior state officer told Business Standard, on condition of anonymity. "We believe the state government killed two birds with one stone by linking it to communal harmony. She was acting tough on those party men, including an influential Muslim leader, who were allegedly involved in the illegal mining of sand." According to media reports, Rs 100-200 crore changes hands from the proceeds of illegal mining and this money is ostensibly used to fund election campaigns.
Business Standard could not independently verify the allegations. However, a report from the Indian Bureau of Mines indicates despite a large number of illegal mining incidents in Uttar Pradesh, the state government didn't file a criminal or first information report (FIR) until June 2012. Data after June 2012 isn't available.
In 2012 (till June), 3,266 cases of illegal mining were reported from Uttar Pradesh, against 4,708 and 4,641 in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Neither an FIR nor a court case was filed for any of the incidents, though the government collected Rs 2,433 lakh in fines.
Ironically, states with fewer reported incidents have collected more fines and were proactive in initiating legal action. For instance, in the corresponding periods, 64, 123 and 277 cases of illegal mining were reported, respectively, from Tamil Nadu. Since 2009, the state registered 1,528 FIRs, filed 561 court cases and collected Rs 6,573 lakh in fines.
Incidentally, on two occasions, Akhilesh Yadav had instructed the state machinery to stop illegal mining and its transport. On July 30, 2012, he instructed districts magistrates to take tough measures against the mining mafia. "He also warned officers that any laxity in this would not be tolerated," read a communique from the state information bureau.
A few months later, the chief minister used more terse words. "Action would also be initiated against officials who were not initiating action against illegal mining," threatened a press release dated December 16, 2012.
Though media reports infer Yadav suspended Nagpal due to her clamp-down on the sand mafia, the chief minister has strongly refuted the charges. Incidentally, Nagpal had got 20 FIRs registered and impounded as many as 30 truckloads of illegal sand. "She took steps that had to be punished. The government was correct to remove her," Yadav told reporters in Lucknow. He maintained she was suspended for endangering communal harmony. Earlier, he had defended the bureaucrat's suspension, saying Nagpal had ordered the demolition of a portion of a mosque, which might have resulted in disturbing peace in the area.
"She was suspended without an inquiry and without being given a chance to explain herself," rues a senior official. "Even the intelligence reports emanating from the state police headquarters did not indicate any communal tension due to her actions on July 25, 26 and 27."
A report from her immediate superior and district magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar has exonerated her of any dereliction in duty.
Many in the state feel that Yadav's decision to suspend Nagpal on communal grounds doesn't hold much water.
According to home ministry statistics, in the 10 months ended October 2012, Uttar Pradesh recorded 104 incidents of communal violence that left 34 people dead and 456 injured. This included three major riots. But how many IAS and IPS officers were suspended for failing to perform their jobs, the officer asked.