Noida DM shunted out as CM Yogi unhappy over Covid-19 cases

LUCKNOW/GREATERNOIDA: The state government on Monday transferred Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate BN Singh who sought three months’ earned leave on personal grounds after chief minister Yogi Adityanath showed his displeasure over the inability of the administration to handle the surge in Covid-19 cases in Noida.

Announcing Singh’s transfer, Uttar Pradesh chief secretary R K Tiwari said in Lucknow that a departmental inquiry had also been initiated against him. Singh violated the service code of conduct by making his leave application go viral on the social media and talking to the press after the chief minister’s meeting in Noida, the chief secretary said.

The Uttar Pradesh government appointed Suhas LY the new district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), the chief secretary said.

BN Singh had been now attached to the Board of Revenue, he said.

“Industrial development commissioner Alok Tandon will conduct the (departmental) inquiry and submit his report in the next three days,” he said.

He said Suhas LY would take charge as Noida DM within the next three-four hours. Suhas, a 2007 batch IAS officer belonging to Karnataka served as the Prayagraj district magistrate during the Kumbh Mela last year.

When contacted, Singh said, “I think that I was not able to perform my duties as GB Nagar district magistrate properly, despite giving long working hours to it daily. I do not want to work here anymore.”

With six new cases, the number of Covid-19 positive cases in GB Nagar district has risen to 38.

Earlier, addressing a review meeting, the chief minister said a blame game can’t cover up the failure of officials of the district, which had now turned into a hotspot of Covid-19 positive cases.

“Mujhe lagta hai ki yahan kaam kam aur shor zyada hota hai (I feel that the officials here talk more than doing their work),” he said.