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IN AN unusual move, as many as 15 joint secretaries working in the ministry of home affairs (MHA) met home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday to plead for Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, also an IAS officer, suspended last week for renewing the FCRA licence to controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Nair's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) even though there were pending cases against his organization. The group of joint secretaries reportedly told the home minister that Dwivedi is an honest officer, and the decision to suspend him would demoralize other officers. But who is Dwivedi?…
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Dwivedi is a 1993 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer who was working as joint secretary (foreigners) in the home ministry till he, along with three of his juniors, was suspended on September 2.
A product of Pilani-based Birla Public School, this 51-year-old officer did his B.Sc from BHU, Varanasi and had another degree from Deendayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University before getting selected as an IAS. According to his bio-brief in LinkedIn, he is currently pursuing an LLB degree from the University of Delhi. According to DoPT records, which are available in public domain, he is a BA in English.
Before joining the MHA, Dwivedi was private secretary to the minister of state in the commerce and industry ministry, New Delhi between November 2012 and July 2014, i.e. during the UPA-II time.
He knows three languages -- Hindi, English and Telugu.
Now, his colleagues in the MHA feel that Dwivedi was wrongly punished for the alleged lapses of his juniors, and his suspension sent wrong signals to other officers as well, according to reports quoting unnamed sources who were present during the joint secretaries’ meeting with the home minister on Tuesday.
Another set of officers also met home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Saturday to plead for Dwivedi’s case. His colleagues have all vouched for his integrity and also reminded the home secretary that Dwivedi played a key role in merging PIO and OIC card as a follow-up to Prime Minister’s announcement at Madison Square in US in 2014. He was also instrumental in computerization of the FCRA renewal process, according to his colleagues.
A number of officers also say that the posting at FCRA division would now be considered risky by many competent officers and their sub-ordinates.
`edia reports of a delegation of 15 JSs (of MHA) approaching the Home Minister to intercede in favour of a fellow JS , who was suspended along with three junior officers ( 2 USs and 1 SO- all from “ downtrodden Services “ ) in connection with the renewal of FCRA licence of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's NGO, has jolted the conscience of one and all. Request for revocation of suspension of JS on the plea that he was“ wrongly punished " for "lapses committed by junior officers”, is bizarre, irrational, unethical, arbitrary- based on pick and choose. The undignified behaviour on part of an advantaged group of officers, has demoralized the lower echelons of bureaucracy. WIC informs of re-allocation of portfolio on interim basis. One trusts the inquiry is conducted in a fair manner and all those found guilty, must be punshed appropriately as per law of the land.The lapse is quite serious.
ReplyDeleteWhy should someone invoke the doctrine of selective punishment without completion of enquiry that is supposedly underway. The government is expected to resist peer pressure from an advantaged group in decision making. All officers must be treated at par- as part of collective responsibility in decision making. Lobbying by serving officers,is unpardonable. All officers’and Services’ associations are statutorily obliged to refrain from behaving like Unions in terms of the Conduct Rules. It will be appropriate for DOP&T/ PMO to re-circulate the instructions to refresh the memory of lazy bureaucrats.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)