BENGALURU: For the second time in three years, the seat of power, the Vidhana Soudha, and the Vikasa Soudha, have been shut with the offices of all previous ministers and their secretarial staff being locked and sealed on Monday.
The last time when the offices were sealed was when JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy resigned as Chief Minister on July 23, 2019, after losing a trust vote.An official at the state secretariat told TNIE, “The staff have handed over the files and equipment like computers, which will now be returned to the parent departments. Officers who served as secretaries and staff of ministers too will have to return to their parent departments.’’ On Monday, many officials were seen preparing inventories and getting clearances as the staff of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) went about locking the offices.
Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officers, who were working as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) and Personal Secretaries to Deputy Chief Ministers and other ministers in the B S Yediyurappa Cabinet too have been relieved of their duties.
A notification issued by the DPAR on Monday stated that 12 KAS officers and three retired KAS officers, who were working in the previous dispensation, were relieved from their duties from Monday. The retired KAS officers were working with Deputy CM and Higher Education and IT/BT Minister, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, Textiles and Minorities Welfare Minister on contract basis. Those in service will report back to their parent departments while the services of those who had retired and were on contract, stand terminated. The government has directed the serving KAS officers to report to the DPAR for new postings.
Ministers and officers who had availed of government accommodation too started moving out on Monday as overstaying beyond the grace period of one month will attract penal provisions. One of the officers who moved out of his accommodation after nearly two years, pointed out that the DPAR will have to get the offices and accommodation ready for the new team of ministers and their secretarial staff.
Yediyurappa had resigned on July 26 after his government completed two years in office. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had accepted his resignation the same day and dissolved the council of ministers headed by Yediyurappa.