Reconsider IFS officer’s transfer: CAT to Centre

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 28

The Central Government’s ‘refusal’ to accept the inter-state cadre transfer of whistleblower IFS Sanjeev Chaturvedi from Haryana to Uttarakhand has earned the ire of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) which has asked the government to reconsider his case within two months.

An order of Syed Rafat Alam and BK Sinha, chairman and members, respectively, of the Prinicipal Bench of CAT, took exception to the Central Government’s decision saying that the case for the change of cadre had been recommended by the Ministry of Forests and Environment and had the concurrence of the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand.

On January 28, 2015, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had returned the proposal for the inter-cadre transfer of the officer from Haryana to Uttarakhand with the direction that ‘fresh consents of the Haryana and Uttarakhand governments may be obtained.’

It may be recalled that Chaturvedi’s case for cadre transfer was submitted to the ACC on July 25, 2014. However, before the approval could take place there was change of government at the Centre and matter remained pending before the BJP Government passed the order to seek fresh approval from the respective state governments.

During his stint in Haryana from 2005-2012, Chaturvedi has taken on top politicial establishment, including Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in the alleged multi-crore plantation scam in 2009. Later, he was allegedly in the firing line of the Hooda Government which ‘vicitimised’ his through chargesheets.

In 2012, he went on the Central deputation as the deputy secretary and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).