Demolition Man Is Back: Former IAS KJ Alphons joins BJP; set to play bigger role in Delhi politics

IT’S a sharp change of track from left to right. Former IAS officer of 1979 batch KJ Alphons who was featured by Time magazine in 1994 as one of the 100 young global leaders for new Millennium, has joined the BJP. The former officer, who led the demolition of 14,310 unauthorized buildings in New Delhi as the DDA commissioner, left IAS in 2006 to contest Kerala assembly polls and became an independent MLA with Left’s support. Now, he has joined right wing BJP to play a wider political role in Delhi.

Though Alphons is known more as a demolition man, he is also credited with making Kottayam India’s first 100 per cent literate town.

Born in 1954 Alphons completed his post graduation from the Jawaharlal Nehru University before getting selected as an Indian Administrative Service officer. His autobiography, “Making a Difference,” is a best seller.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari said Alphons would be appointed as a member of the party’s national executive and would also be involved with the preparation of BJP’s India Vision Document.

SR Rao conducts probe on Tata-VSNL deal

Telecom department’s additional secretary and 1978 batch Gujarat cadre IAS, SR Rao will be conducting an inquiry into Tata-VSNL land deal after telecom minister Kapil Sibal raised concerns over the disinvestment of VSNL in 2002 and the way de-merger of 773.13 acres of surplus land of VSNL was handled.

A double MA in social work and rural development (UK), SR Rao is still known for his stint as Municipal Commissioner to a traumatized, plague-hit Surat city. He is credited with cleaning up the city and placing it back into normalcy.