IAS officers’ issue: Mysureans for change in dist in-charge minister

A section of the people of Mysuru feel that the rift between the two women IAS officers of the district--- Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri and Mysuru City Commissioner Shilpa Nag --- is just the tip of the iceberg. It has to be noted that Shilpa Nag offered to resign, citing harassment by Rohini Sindhuri on Thursday. However, on Saturday, Nag announced that she will continue in service.

Some citizens opine that if the problem has reached this stage, of public accusations by the officials, the District In-charge Minister, S T Somashekar, is responsible. If something needs to be changed, it is the minister, who has failed to take the officials along to work for the welfare of the people, state concerned citizens.

“The system of district in-charge minister was introduced by Ramakrishna Hegde, as chief minister. Like the CM for a state, district ministers are captains of their respective district. On Saturday, Somashekar offered to resign, with a rider, if the district would become Covid-free with his act. As minister, it was his responsibility to make Mysuru Covid-free with the help of the officials concerned. Now, offering to tender resignation serves no purpose,” said V Jaganath, a social activist.

It has to be noted that Somashekar offered to resign, following a demand by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president R Dhruvanarayana. Speaking to DH, Dhruvanarayana, also former MP from Chamarajanagar, pointed at Somashekar’s statements, “Sri Chamundeshwari Devi is watching everything from the Chamundi Hill. I have prayed to the Devi, to protect the honest one. I have no role to play in this regard. The matter is beyond my limit. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar will resolve the issue.”

Dhruvanarayana said, “If Sri Chamundeshwari is supposed to look into everything. If the issues have gone out of his control, it means, he is inefficient. Nobody said Mysuru would become Covid-free, if he resigns. He should resign, owing to his inefficiency.”

V Sathyanarayan, a retired government official said, “Involvement of religious institutions in solving political issues were happening discreetly. Now, the issues of the bureaucrats are reaching religious institutions, openly. IAS officer Shilpa Nag explained her problems, in a religious institution, in front of a pontiff and also the minister. Now, it is learnt that the pontiff convinced her to withdraw her offer, to resign.”

“If a religious or a spiritual institution has to intervene, to solve issues of the executive, what does it reflect? A person holding a public office, like a minister, should neither oppose an official, nor support an official. He or she should take all officials into confidence and extract work from them,” he added.