HASSAN/BENGALURU : IN a major embarrassment to the Siddaramaiah government, Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri’s transfer has been put on hold after Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) issued notice to the state government on Thursday. This is the second unsuccessful attempt by the state government in the last two months to transfer the IAS officer.
IN a major embarrassment to the Siddaramaiah government, Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri’s transfer has been put on hold after the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) issued a notice to the state government on Thursday. This is the second unsuccessful attempt by the state government in the last two months to transfer the IAS officer. A few weeks ago, the Election Commission had stalled her transfer as she was involved in revision of electoral rolls.
On Wednesday, the state government transferred 12 IAS officers, including Rohini and posted her as Commissioner, Employment & Training Department in Bengaluru. Mysuru DC Randeep was posted as Hassan DC. Rohini approached the CAT Bengaluru Bench on Thursday questioning her transfer, which she claimed is contrary to IAS regulations of two-year tenure. She was posted as Hassan DC in July 2017. The officer also contended that the transfer order, issued due to political pressure, is malicious, arbitrary and vindictive in nature.
The bench consisting of P K Pradhan, Member (A) and Dr K B Suresh Member (J), which took up the officer’s petition for hearing, issued the notice to the government. The Additional Advocate General of Karnataka submitted that the reply will be filed by March 12 and the applicant will not be removed from the post of Hassan DC till March 13, date of next hearing.On January 23, the officer was transferred, allegedly due to political pressure, as she had refused to award contract for a work during Mahamastakabhisheka. Though the government had maintained that it was a routine administrative measure, many organisations and political parties had protested against it in Hassan. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda had accused CM Siddaramaiah of giving in to pressure from Hassan district in-charge minister A Manju.
Even as the officer’s transfer was snowballing into a major controversy, the Election Commission stepped in and directed the government not to transfer any officers involved in revision of electoral rolls. The process of revising the electoral rolls was completed on February 28.
Tough officer who put govt in a spot
By refusing to give in to political pressure and deciding to question her transfer, 2009-batch IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri has put the Siddaramaiah government in a tight spot. The soft-spoken officer had taken on the political establishment that was keen on awarding contracts related to civil works to certain agencies.
The opposition JD(S) had accused district minister A Manju of putting pressure on the CM to get the officer transferred out of the district as she was not following his orders. The minister, however, had denied the charges. Former PM and Hassan MP Deve Gowda has described her as an honest officer who will not give into any political pressure.
The government had recently accused her of violating protocol by not being present at the helipad to receive the CM when he visited Shravanabelagola for the Mahamastakabhisheka. A notice was served to her. However, she went ahead with supervising Mahamastakabhisheka. Rohini had worked as Chief Executive Officer of Mandya ZP. In Mandya, she was credited with taking up a lot of development work.