Citizens protest IAS officer's transfer from Palike, hit streets

Launch #Bring back Subodh Yadav campaign

Citizen groups and Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) members hit the streets on Sunday to oppose the state government’s decision  to transfer IAS officer Subodh Yadav from the post of Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.

Members of Hasiru Mithra, a citizen initiative of HSR Layout ward and Mangammana Palya turned out  in large numbers at the BDA complex in HSR Layout urging the government to bring back Yadav as the Special Commissioner. The government on Friday transferred Yadav as Secretary, Karnataka Public Service Commission.
 
Members of various resident welfare associations backed by SWMRT carried out a protest at Town Hall with a similar demand. They raised slogans such as ‘We want Subodh’, ‘Fire the corrupt, not the honest’, ‘Get Subodh back’. Braving the evening rain, the citizens continued their demonstration holding umbrellas.

“Yadav had a clear understanding of what has to be done in solid waste management field. We are upset with the government’s decision. They should have at least consulted core group of civic activists before making such a drastic move," said Sunil Sood, a resident of Jayanagar 2nd Block.

Sandhya Narayana, a SWMRT member said that they have started a petition ‘# Bring back Subodh Yadav’ and it will be sent to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru Development Minister K J George.

“We never questioned the government when officials were transferred in a similar manner in the past. Now, we are raising the issue as he is a special commissioner who was appointed for a specific purpose. Whatever he did so far was in line with the government directions,” Narayana said.

Transferred 10 times

Yadav, a 1999 batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, is a recipient of Prime Minister’s award for Excellence in Public Administration and an alumni of IIT Roorkee. He has been transferred more than 10 times in the recent years. He worked in more than seven districts in various posts. He was transferred abruptly while he was serving as deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada a few years ago.

Yadav, who was the first deputy commissioner of Chikkaballapur district, was shunted out reportedly due to pressure from land mafia.