MP government shuffles collectors, SPs to handle Mandsaur fallout

The District Magistrates of three violence-hit Madhya Pradesh districts -- Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch, were transferred on Thursday morning amid growing agitation by the farmers.

Farmers' agitation turns violent as they torch trucks at Mhow-Neemuch Highway in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. | PTI

BHOPAL: Two days after five farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district, the Madhya Pradesh government transferred the collectors of three violence-hit districts, Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch, Thursday morning.

The superintendents of police of Mandsaur and Neemuch too have been removed.

Madhya Pradesh chief secretary B P Singh issued orders effecting the transfers just a few hours before Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders were to arrive on the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border to visit the slain farmers' families in Mandsaur.

The present collector Mandsaur, Swatantra Kumar Singh, has been sent out as the deputy secretary of Bhopal. He will be replaced in Mandsaur by Om Prakash Srivastava.

The present municipal commissioner of Sagar, Kaushalendra Vikram Singh will be the new collector of Neemuch, replacing Rajnish Srivastava, who will be sent abroad on a training sabbatical.

The government posted the additional managing director of MP Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC), Tanvi Sundriyal as the new collector of Ratlam, replacing the incumbent B Chandrasekhar.

According to sources in the state government, the Mandsaur superintendent of police O P Tripathi has been shifted as assistant inspector-general to Police HQ in Bhopal.

The SP of Neemuch district Manoj Singh will be the new Mandsaur SP.

Manoj Singh's post in Neemuch will be taken by Tushar Kant Vidyarthi, presently the Railways SP in Bhopal, sources told New Indian Express.