Going by the rule book

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

One of my most memorable postings in Karnataka was that of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chitradurga. It was an unexpected transfer from Bidar where I was the DC.

I replaced the senior officer under whom I worked as Assistant Commissioner, which created heartburn for him. I, along with my wife, arrived at Chitradurga with the luggage.

One day after breakfast, a dashing young man with a gun crashed into our dining room. He was KP Singh, my probationer. Thus started our long-standing association and the famous probation of K P Singh.

After having a miserable life as a probationer at Bijapur, I was determined to do my best for my first probationer. Singh was only too keen to take up any responsibility and turned out to be a major support for me.

Not long after, a bear entered Chitradurga from the nearby hillock. Complaints came to me and the news appeared in local papers. I decided to put an end to the menace immediately and entrusted the work to KP. He shot and killed the bear. Though it was a relief to people, I had not consulted the Forest Department.

I received a notice from the Chief Conservative of Forests, Dr Sharma. I took the stand that the lives of the people were more important. Fortunately, Dr Sharma visited Chitradurga around that time, I admitted to my mistake and we sorted out the problem.

In the whole action, KP Singh gained state-wise fame as the probationer who killed the bear. His photo with the animal and gun appeared in many newspapers. As big an event and start of probation as it was, by the time KP had his send-off function from Karnataka, Chitradurga seemed long forgotten. Such is the endless corridor of time.

House sites for the poor was one of the most important programmes of the Devaraj Urs government. There was healthy competition between the districts in this regard and our District came at the top in this competition. KP Singh played a memorable role in this programme. A spectacular meeting was arranged to symbolically distribute sites to beneficiaries from all the Taluqs of the district.

The function was presided by the chief minister and attended by many cabinet ministers including Housing minister Basavalingappa. As the chief minister entered, I took the mike and enthusiastically welcomed him like a politician. Everybody enjoyed the function and we were congratulated. Basavalingappa became so happy that he decided to grant two sites in Bengaluru to me and KP. This ruffled many feathers. Finally, Basavalingappa said it was his own action without any nudge from me.

Similarly, I was summoned by the late JC Lynn, the secretary to the CM, to point out the inappropriateness of my behaving like a politician. I admitted to my mistake and promised not to repeat it in future. Even after that, I was marched to the CM, with the hope that he would admonish me. However, Devaraj Urs just sent me off with a benign smile, perhaps to the disappointment of many.

The lesson learnt by me this early part of my career is that in Civil Service one should not be overenthusiastic. One should always go by the rule book.