Not too long ago, when bureaucrat Vivek Kumar (IAS:1990:WB) sang a famous song ‘Hou dhoro mete dhir/ Hou koromete Bir / Hou unnoto shir/ Nahi Bhoi’ at the annual Civil Services Day, even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sitting in the audience, could not agree more with the content of the song. The song exhorts one to hold one’s head high without any fear.
A few days ago the same Kumar, who was Principal Secretary of the Health Department, was transferred to the Environment Department. Kumar exited with his held high.
Kumar had to pay a price for the goof ups in the health sector over low testing, suppression of COVID victim’s numbers, and fudging of death toll. But the real reason is said to be Kumar’s reluctance to toe the line of West Bengal government in response to the pandemic.
On April 29 the CM disowned the Health Audit Committee by saying in a press conference, “I didn’t form the death audit committee. I didn’t even know who all are there. The Chief Secretary and the health secretary are the authorized persons.”
According to sources Kumar did not like the approach adopted by the committee. He was against down playing the corona outbreak in Bengal by doing low testing.
Kumar earlier served in the higher education and information and culture department, and Banerjee was pleased with him during those days.
Mamta was initially pleased with him in health department too, but later started relying more on experts and their suggestions regarding the Covid-19 response.
Kumar is said to have had sharp differences with a section of authorities, over the issue of health expert committee taking a call on Covid-19 related deaths. Kumar reportedly objected to buying certain PPEs on ground of poor quality.
Despite his reservations over the quality, price and the method of purchase, as Health Secretary, Kumar had to sign procurement orders.
