Bureaucrats holding crucial positions need to be sensitive to people’s sufferings. Perhaps District Collector of Karauli in Rajasthan, Neelabh Saxena (IAS:2014:RJ), took it lightly and faced the music by inviting the wrath of Chief Secretary Sudhanshu Pant (IAS:1991:RJ). Pant gave him a good dressing down for enjoying cool comforts of valley in Jammu & Kashmir while people of his district are reeling under heat.
Actually, the Bhajan Lal government is in an alert mode due to rising heat and crisis of drinking water in the state, so the Chief Secretary is also in action. But unmindful of the looming crisis, the Karauli Collector was found enjoying the cold breeze in J&K instead of staying at the district headquarters. Interestingly, the DC took leave on the pretext of an urgent work in his home town but headed to valley for natural comforts. When the Chief Secretary came to know about this, he took out his anger on him.
It all happened when the CS was holding an online meeting of collectors regarding the electricity and water crisis in the state in face of rising heat. According to media reports, he asked about the DC’s location and when he was told it was J&K, he got angry.
The Chief Secretary lambasted the DC saying ‘people in your district are suffering from heat and the water and electricity shortage and you are roaming in cold valleys. He went on to say, ‘your irresponsible attitude puts a damper on your administrative sensitivity’.
After the Chief Secretary’s reprimand, it is believed that major action may be taken against the Karauli Collector.
