Bengaluru: BJP MP Prathap Simha is now embroiled in another controversy after his Facebook post on IPS officers received a sharp response from a woman IPS officer.
In a facebook post on March 14, MP called the central deputation of IPS officers as “migration” and said that these officers go on deputation as they don’t get a good posting in Karnataka. Simha had also contended that IPS officer Madhukar Shetty had “knocked on the Centre’s door” as he was not given a good posting in the State. He listed IPS officers Sonia Narang (DIG-CID), Labhu Ram (Bengaluru DCP-North) and Kaushalendra Kumar (DCP -CCB) as other officials deputed to the Centre.
Roopa D Moudgil, DIG (Prisons), in her Facebook post reacted sharply to his post on March 16 saying , “It is just your imagination.” She also told the MP to allow them to do their job and not politicise bureaucracy.
“Because, politicisation of bureaucracy does not help the system and society in the long run,” she said in her 650-word post. “You have said that Mr Madhukar Shetty left the state because no good posting was given to him which seems to be just your imagination. The fact is that there is no post as good or bad in rules and legislations,” She termed his views as wrong and dangerous.
Roopa also spoke about the challenges faced by IPS officers. In the post, she further said that Shetty was “never posted in a good post (by your measure) even in the previous government. Mrs. Sonia Narang was left with no option but to file the case because it came to light that some people were collecting bribes in Lokayukta in her name. We, bureaucrats, know how to battle it out.”
Since public always hated nexus between politicians-bureaucrats, the present post by the MP will further worsen it, she opined.
Read her post:
WHY THE VIEWS OF HONORABLE MP PRATAP SIMHA SO VERY WRONG AND DANGEROUS :
To Honorable MP…
Respected Sir , I earnestly request you to let the bureaucracy be to itself free from political endorsements. Because, politicisation of bureaucracy does not help the system and society in the long run. I know these officers personally – the ones you have mentioned in your facebook post/twitter and I can vouch that none of them have raised any hue and cry about political harassment whatsoever.
Sir, you have said that Mr Madhukar Shetty left the state because no good posting was given to him which seems to be just your imagination. The fact is that there is no post as good or bad in rules and legislations. It is the officers who make a post good or bad. Shining example of this is none other than Mrs Kiran Bedi who did wonderful work in the so called nondescript posting as Tihar Jail. We officers know when we get selected that there are no promises in government jobs about posting in the best of best places. Most of us come with a zeal to serve the rural hinterland of our country.
It is a necessity as well as a desire of every IAS and IPS officer to serve on central deputation for enrichment of job experience. It is basically this desire that pulls us to national capital and not any push factor as brought out in your writing. In the present case, it’s personal choice of these officers to serve outside the state and is a routine thing in administration.
Secondly, hero-cult is equally bad. It is bad for the system to make heroes of one or two officers. When the system becomes dependent on one or two officers, it weakens the whole set up. And when that officer leaves the post due to transfer or retirement, it leads to crumbling of the whole set up and the period to recuperate is rather long. I wish you had recognised the efforts and hard work of constables, inspectors, sub inspectors, Dy SPs about cracking the PUC paper leak instead of attributing it to one single officer. It is an injustice to the dedication and hardwork of the each one in the team. It is this factor that makes subordinate ranks to feel that the IPS officers take singlehanded credit for the blood and sweat shed by subordinate staff. It is this which creates rift between police ranks, demotivates the unsung heroes in the department. It is this which has at times made the lower ranks feel neglected and harassed. In the long run, it only creates a divisive police system which is a bane to the society.
For that matter, Mr Shetty was never posted in a good post (by your measure) even in the previous government. He was prematurely shifted from Chickmagalur and Chamarajnagar in previous regime. Mrs Sonia Narang was left with no option but to file the case because it came to light that some unscrupulous elements were collecting bribes in lokayakta in her name. We bureaucrats know how to battle it out. We also know that each one has to fight one’s own battle and we come prepared for that.
By making one or two officers larger than life, we are actually jeopardising them. We have seen this a number of times that it puts the whole attention on such officers 24×7 and if they ever happen to err knowingly or unknowingly, they fall into unrecoverable depths.
Politicians-bureaucrats nexus is one hated thing by the public and the view endorsed by as learned man as you occupying a high public office only adds to the problem and not solve it. Finally, bureaucracy doesn’t require politicians championing their cause for political gains. What we ask for is a free hand in our job and respect.
Simha was earlier caught caught in a controversy by comparing Gurmehar Kaur, the daughter of a martyr and a student of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi, with Dawood Ibrahim.
