NEW INNINGS IN DELHI

Whistleblower Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, whose appointment as officer on special duty (OSD) to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was shot down by the Centre, has been posted in the national capital by the Uttarakhand government.

Mr Chaturvedi, a 2002-batch officer of Uttarakhand cadre, was awaiting posting for over three months. He has been appointed as OSD in Uttarakhand’s resident commissioner’s office and assigned work relating to National Green Tribunal. The officer, who had been at loggerheads with the Centre and had approached courts against some of the decisions of the Central government of allegedly denying him due service-related benefits, was recently promoted as conservator of forests. Mr Chaturvedi’s appointment assumes importance as at least 180 cases of alleged violation of environment norms in Uttarakhand are pending trials in NGT.

He worked as chief vigilance officer and then as deputy secretary in All-India Institute of Medical Sciences from June 2012 to June 2016, largely being ignored by the Centre. Last year, he had sought inter-cadre deputation to Delhi government. Hopefully his new stint in Delhi will be a happier one. Love them, hate them ignore them at national peril, is the babu guarantee and Dilip’s belief. Share significant babu escapades dilipcherian@hotmail.com