Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

‘Peeved’ Bihar babus refuse to take oral orders from CM

- Arun Kumar and Anirban Guha Roy letters@hindustant­imes.com

BIHAR ADMINISTRA­TIVE SERVICE ASSOCIATIO­N IS PEEVED AFTER THE GOVERNMENT TRANSFERRE­D TWO OF ITS OFFICERS FOR THE BOAT TRAGEDY IN WHICH 24 PEOPLE WERE KILLED

PATNA: The administra­tive machinery in Bihar appears to be in turmoil, as the top civil echelon on Sunday decided not to accept any verbal instructio­ns, even from the chief minister.

The middle rung of civil and police administra­tion have both voiced their displeasur­e over different issues.

While the IAS officers are on warpath, seeking immediate release of Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) chairman Sudhir Kumar, the Bihar Administra­tive Service Associatio­n (BASA), is peeved after the government transferre­d two of its officers and suspended one for the January 14 boat tragedy, which led to the death of 24 people. The IAS officers had on Sunday marched up to Raj Bhawan, seeking the governor’s interventi­on for Kumar’s release. He was arrested last Friday in the BSSC question paper leak case.

The meeting with governor Ram Nath Kovind lasted nearly 20 minutes, ending a nearly sixhour long deliberati­on of 125-odd IAS officers earlier in the day.

The associatio­n had earlier resolved not to accept any verbal instructio­n even from the chief minister. It also announced that no IAS officer would accept the posts of chairman and controller of the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) or the technical services recruitmen­t board till Kumar got justice.

The associatio­n also reiterated its demand for an impartial CBI probe into the BSSC question leak case. The Bihar Police Service Associatio­n (BPSA), on the other hand, has also taken up cudgels for Sonepur sub-divisional police officer Mohammad Ali Ansari, who has been suspended over the boat tragedy.

In its memorandum to the governor, the associatio­n demanded adequate safeguard for officers. The associatio­n also demanded that a civil officer, not below one who had attained supertime scale, head any probe involving an officer in the rank of sub-divisional magistrate or above.

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