100 days, 104 suspension; welcome to Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may not have anything to his credit in his one hundred days in the office, but his uncle and more experienced ministerial colleague Shivpal Singh Yadav has created a record of sorts albeit of a different type in the same period.

Shivpal, who holds several portfolios, has, in the past hundred days, suspended as many as 104 officials of different departments under him, averaging more than one suspension per day.

Shivpal, who is a minister of cooperatives, PWD and irrigation, has literally been on a suspension spree ever since he has assumed charge of the departments.

“He has been making visits to different parts of the state, inspecting progress of various projects and ordering suspensions of officials on one or the other charges,” said an official from the irrigation department. Many other officials have also been suspended for the alleged irregularities in wheat purchase.

While the minister justifies the suspensions, officials are not very happy. “Such large-scale suspensions will only demoralise employees and no one will be able to take decisions,” he added.

Cooperative department officials have borne the brunt of the minister’s wrath with 42 suspensions, while the irrigation department comes next with 22 suspensions, the official said quoting the records.

“Most of the officials have been suspended for their involvement in scams that had taken place during the Mayawati regime,” the official said adding that many of the suspended officials were very close to the previous dispensation.

Shivpal had warned officials even before his party had formed the government. The Samajwadi Party, if it came to power, would sternly deal with officials involved in the construction of parks, memorials and other buildings after Dalit icons, Shivpal had said.

“This is just a beginning.... many more suspensions are in the offing,” warned a senior official.