The Punjab bureaucracy is in utter turmoil with IAS and IPS officers, including the Chief Secretary and the DGP, feeling the heat of unprecedented pressure. The fallout is senior bureaucrats are now rushing for central deputation as they are becoming targets of political leaders who are openly threatening them with dire consequences once the govt changed.
The situation is becoming pitiable as top opposition politicians are now aggressively targeting top bureaucrats. The most recent attack came from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Tuesday who warned that “errant” police officers would face compulsory retirement once the BJP comes to power in the state alleging that the AAP government was using the police and bureaucracy to target political opponents.
On the other hand, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia directly named Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, alleging he is “unable to handle the law and order situation in Punjab.”
Allegations by politicians apart, the recent CBI raids on the Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali in connection with an alleged bribery scandal came as a new low.
The raids assumed greater significance because they were linked to the earlier arrest of suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar by the CBI in October last year in a bribery case.
The subsequent CBI action at the Vigilance Bureau (VB) headquarters is being seen in bureaucratic circles as one of the most embarrassing moments for govt’s anti-corruption claims in recent years.
Chief Secretary KAP Sinha has also come in for sharp criticism after CBI raids on the Vigilance Bureau during the last two days as he is VB’s administrative secretary.
Even former CM and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has also issued repeated warnings to officers alleging bureaucrats and police officials were involved in “false cases” against his workers and threatening they would be held accountable once governments changed.
This situation is further complicated by growing frustration among sections of bureaucrats over delays in postings and prolonged waiting periods. Several officers have remained without substantive assignments for months after transfers. An IAS officer says, “This is the worst time for us.”
The cumulative effect of this growing sense of unease and frustration is that several officers have opted for central deputation in this scenario. At least four IAS officers had also been awaiting fresh assignments for months before being granted no-objection certificates for central deputation. IAS officer Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, who has remained without a regular posting for nearly nine months, is the most widely discussed case.
The Punjab government eventually granted NOCs to four IAS officers, including Tejveer Singh, Dileep Kumar, Sibin C and Varun Roojam, for central deputation. All except Roojam have already proceeded on central deputation.
Officials say many more officers are keen to move to the Centre. Same is the case with senior IPS officers, too, who too have been exploring central postings as political atmosphere of the state is becoming more and more confrontational.
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