Now, shuffles in bureaucracy ruffle coalition feathers

Transfers of bureaucrats has become the latest conflict between alliance partners the Congress and the JD(S), which also seems to be one of the reasons why former chief minister Siddaramaiah is miffed.

The H D Kumaraswamy-led government has effected several transfers in the recent past. This has not gone down too well with a section of Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, it is said, as the party was not consulted.

For instance, the state government is learnt to have withdrawn its request to the Centre seeking an extension for Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha, whose tenure ends June 30. She was handpicked for the top post by the previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress regime.

Kumaraswamy has also reworked the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) by transferring officials Siddaramaiah had appointed during his tenure.

Senior IAS officer L K Atheeq, who served as Siddaramaiah’s principal secretary, was transferred without a new posting. Another senior IAS officer Tushar Girinath, who was also Siddaramaiah’s principal secretary along with Atheeq, has been moved out and posted as BWSSB chairman. Another IAS officer B S Shekharappa, who was additional secretary to chief minister, has been transferred
as well.

Kumaraswamy has appointed IAS officers E V Ramana Reddy and S Selvakumar as his secretaries.

The government has appointed a new Bengaluru Urban district deputy commissioner by replacing K A Dayananda with B M Vijay Shankar.

It is also learnt that the government is readying a list of IPS officers, deputy police superintendents and police inspectors to be transferred, especially those who aligned with the previous administration.

Siddaramaiah, who heads the Coalition Coordination and Monitoring Committee, is said to be particularly upset over the transfer of Shekharappa as director of the Command Areas Development Authority. Siddaramaiah is also angry that Atheeq and Dayananda have not been given new postings.

A Congress minister confirmed that transfers of officials had become an issue. “This adds to the already complex relationship we are in,” the minister said.

In the first meeting of the coordination committee on June 14, the Congress had taken exception over transfer of officials.