NITISH PLANS AHEAD

The transfer of 70 IAS and IPS officers in Bihar is being seen as an attempt by chief minister Nitish Kumar to consolidate his hold over the bureaucracy and also move away from the era of “grand alliance”. This is the first since parting ways with the RJD and the Congress in July last year. It may also indicate that he could be gearing up for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls because as per Election Commission guidelines, no transfer can be affected six months before the elections.

Most of the IAS and IPS officials transferred had been posted during the “grand alliance” regime and, sources said, several of them were handpicked by RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. A majority of them had been given postings at the state headquarters in Patna. Among those transferred are 22 district magistrates and 17 superintendents of police. But eyebrows were raised following the removal of Gaya senior superintendent of police Garima Malik, who was moved to the relatively low- profile post of commandant of Bihar Military Police ( BMP)- 10 in Patna. Ms Malik was instrumental in the arrest and jailing of Rahul Kumar Manjhi, the son of BJP MP from Gaya, Hari Manjhi, over charges of flouting prohibition.

Love them, hate them ignore them at national peril, is the babu guarantee and Dilip’s belief. Share significant babu escapades dilipcherian@ hotmail. com