Guv, Thakur’s Nalagarh visit mismanaged; DC, SP shifted

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, February 23

In an unprecedented move Solan Deputy Commissioner Hansraj Sharma and Baddi Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh were transferred after issue of mismanagement emerged in the maiden visit of Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur, to the district in Nalagarh constituency yesterday.

Sharma has been transferred as Director, Women and Child Development Department, while Vinod Kumar, a 2009-IAS officer, has been placed as the new DC, Solan, in the orders issued late last evening. SP, Baddi Gaurav Singh, has been transferred as Commandant 5th IRB, Bassi and Rani Bindu has been placed as the new SP, Baddi as per the orders issued by Principle Secretary, Home.

A major mix-up occurred at Chowkiwala where Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur, was supposed to kick-start the “Clean Nalagarh Green Nalagarh” campaign along with the Governor Acharya Devvrat. After reaching the venue he was led to inaugurate a blood donation camp right next to this venue which was not only unscheduled but organised by the family of former MLA HN Saini. This was resented by the local BJP unit led by former district president KL Thakur as the presence of the nephew of Saini had upset his poll prospects. No official from the district administration was there to guide the Chief Minister to the designated venue, revealed former MLA KL Thakur.

To make matters worse the Governor was left unattended outside the venue thus creating an unsavoury situation. Lack of proper arrangements at the venue also left much to be desired and the dignitaries were stuck in a traffic jam with scores of trucks lined up along the road making it difficult for the VIP cavalcade to move ahead smoothly.

It was learnt that the route plan was changed a day prior to the programme to specially bypass some places and the traffic could not be managed effectively along the road.

While the district administration failed to stick to the CM’s programme, inclusion of unscheduled programmes added to the delay. The persistent traffic jams leading to the venue of the cleanliness oath programme at Government Degree College, Nalagarh, exposed the shoddy traffic management, further irking the dignitaries.

Being the first programme of the Chief Minister in the district, the failure of the Deputy Commissioner to inspect the venue prior to his visit as is the usual practice and the poor traffic regulation exposed their casual approach.

SP Gaurav was earlier too transferred from Baddi in the Congress tenure barely after nine months as he had launched a campaign against the mining mafia. The BJP had then condemned his transfer and had termed it as an attempt to appease the mining mafia. Gaurav Singh had again been posted at Baddi about a month ago.

The reasons

• The CM was supposed to kick-start the “Clean Nalagarh Green Nalagarh” campaign along with the Governor. After reaching the venue he was led to inaugurate a blood donation camp right next to this venue which was not only unscheduled but organised by the family of a former MLA
• To make matters worse, the Governor was left unattended outside the venue, thus creating an unsavoury situation.
• Then the dignitaries were stuck in a traffic jam with scores of trucks lined up along the road

Immolation threat

• A social worker and district President of INTUC, Bablu Pandit, from Baddi, while terming the transfer of SP Gaurav Singh as unfortunate, said he would immolate himself on Saturday if the transfer was not reversed. 
• He said cases of sedatives like chitta sale in this industrial belt were unearthed by the SP and rampant sale of such drugs were for the first time checked by him. Sale of such drugs was adversely hitting the youth of the area hence the transfer of SP at this juncture was unfortunate.