http://indiatoday.
Buta's Dalit salvo stirs hornet's nest
Dalip Singh
New Delhi, February 22, 2010
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairman, Buta
Singh, is allegedly running roughshod over Dalit officials in the
commission. The latest person to be in his line of fire is Joint
Secretary T. Theethan.
Theethan joins a list of more than half-a-dozen Dalit officials whom
Singh has allegedly removed from their posts in an arbitrary way. Buta
Singh, however, was not available to comment on the allegations.
On January 12, a memorandum was issued to Theethan by NCSC
undersecretary (administration) Lokhan Marandi stating he was
"surrendered to the ministry of social justice and empowerment with
immediate effect".
Marandi wrote that the order was issued with the approval of the
"competent authority" (read Singh). On February 1, Theethan and his
private secretary found their office chambers in the Dalit
commission's office on the fifth floor of Lok Nayak Bhawan in Khan
Market locked.
Sources said the office chambers were opened only after Theethan wrote
a letter to Marandi expressing consternation over the 'lockout'.
Further, the commission has withheld Theethan's salary for the past
month. However, Singh's attempt to remove Theethan, a senior Indian
Audit and Accounts Services (IAAS) official with an unblemished
career, has come in for stiff resistance from the ministry for social
justice and empowerment. The ministry refused to accept Theethan's
transfer and has asked him to stay put. It is learnt that the ministry
has written to the NCSC questioning Singh's decision.
"How can Singh remove Theethan without the consent of the appointments
committee of cabinet (ACC), which posted him as the NCSC joint
secretary?" an official said.
Nevertheless, Singh is in no mood to relent. On February 2, he made
another botched attempt to force the joint secretary out.
Undersecretary Marandi issued a "corrigendum" on the transfer order to
Theethan stating he was surrendered to the ministry of personnel,
public grievances and pensions with immediate effect. But the
personnel ministry, too, refused to accept the NCSC's order.
Now, although Theethan - who doubles as the chief vigilance officer -
remains in the NCSC, he is denied access to official files.
Sources said Singh grew to dislike Theethan after the latter said
members of the commission and other staff should take administrative
and financial approvals before they went on official tours.
Theethan's removal has left the commission without senior bureaucrats.
Therefore, Singh has tasked the NCSC vice-chairman, who is of the rank
of a minister of state, to handle important matters. Theethan refused
to comment on the issue terming it "an internal matter". And Singh was
not available for comment.
Among other Dalits who have faced Singh's ire is Raghubir Singh,
another senior IAAS officer. He was removed from the post of
secretary, just a few months after he took charge in February 2008.
Raghubir retired from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India,
his parent organisation, after removal from the NCSC. Some other Dalit
officials who have become Singh's targets include: deputy director K.
D. Bhansor, private secretary K. L. Dhanak and commission member Satya
Bahin.
Bahin has written to the ministry of social justice and empowerment
against Singh's alleged vindictive and autocratic style of
functioning.
She wrote that Singh, in connivance with other commission members,
illegally surrendered many officials and prevented them from joining
duty.
Sources said she has also listed 10 officials who were transferred
since Singh took charge of the NCSC in May 2007. Singh's three-year
term ends this May.
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