Controversial Gorakhpur DM promoted

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, March 17

Transferring 37 IAS officers and initiating several pro-farmer measures at the first Cabinet meeting after the defeat in the bypolls, CM Yogi Adityanath is in a damage-control mode. Huddled with senior officers and ministers for a feedback on the reasons for the shock defeat, he has  been trying to take corrective action prior to his meeting with PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi on Saturday.

In a decision taken late last night, 37 IAS officers, including controversial Gorakhpur District Magistrate (DM) Rajeev Rautela, were shifted. Rautela, who had barred mediapersons and SP observers from the counting station on March 14, was promoted as Divisional Commissioner, Devipatan Division. In all, 17 DMs and five Divisional Commissioners were transferred.

To put the focus back on farmers, CM Yogi approved a number of proposals, including a wheat procurement policy for 2018-19. Is many as 5,500 centres would be set up to procure 40 lakh tonnes of wheat through nine agencies between April 1 and June 15 this year.

The Cabinet approved five hectares of land for setting up International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre at Varanasi and set in motion the process for recruiting 10,768 assistant teachers online.