Beyond the News.

In a democracy, it is important that bureaucrats get transferred and over hauled. The transfers also show Modi government's grip on the bureaucracy.

There has been a massive round of IAS and IPS transfers. Dfacto tries to give you in a nutshell, the essence of each officer/transfer.

· This is the first time, our friends tell us, that 99 IAS and IPS officers have been transferred at one go.

· Mr Girish Murmu was in Delhi and Amit Shah in Amereli when the transfer orders came in.

· Gujarat Chief Minister, bureaucratic grapevine, says made good use of the time that he got while he was down with Swine Flu. Gave him a lot of time to think and reflect. The transfers, besides Mr Modi’s personal touch also bear an impressively evident touch of chief secretary Mr D Rajagopalan.

· Mr Kuldeep Sharma becomes the first IPS officer to head the Sheep and wool department of the Gujarat Government. The one time dreaded officer, that the underworld was so wary about has been shunted to a department considered non consequential for his abilities and competence.

· Mr B. K Sinha who is back from a deputation at the Centre has been given Ports, which is a good department. Grapevine says he was expecting to be made the managing director of GNFC but still ports is a good posting.

· Mr H K Dash also has been given Narmada and water supplies. Now, a lot of work in this department will be done as per political diktats, it is being speculated.

· Mr V. S Gadhvi has got a jackpot. According to people close to him, his consistent performance has been rewarded. As Managing Director of GMDC, he is now in the super slot. He is the first Gujarati officer to be given this post. His predecessor Mrs Vijayalaxmi Joshi was a direct recruit and 80’ batch. Mr V S Gadhvi is a promote, having come up in the cadre and is ’87 batch. A good feat for Mr V S Gadhvi.

· Mr R K Tripathy. Known as top three competent IAS officers of Gujarat has been literally shunted to agriculture department. Ofcourse, agriculture minister Dilip Sanghani is lucky so Mr Tripathy will now herald in innovations in the agriculture department too. However, Mr Tripathy’s tremendous knowledge of project engineering will be missed in Narmada Nigam. He has to be credited for creating systems and bringing canal works on the track which had been in an animated suspension. He also created a scientific method of land acquisition and tried to break a cartel of contractors and engineers. However of late, a couple of ministers aided by a few bureaucrats had gone openly against him.

· Mr S Chandrashekhar, retires next month. He however had to be moved out for sheep and wool department to pave way for Mr Kuldeep Sharma. Now, Mr Chandrashekhar will be at SPIPA and retire from there.

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· The forever amiable R M Patel has got a good department. That is what others say. The man never complains whatever department he gets, From labour to Panchayat and rural housing, he will be the same happy officer.

· R. S. Saxena: And you thought he did good work when the Chief Minister got swine flu? We also actually thought he did a commendable job when the honourable chief minister was down with swine flu. We are as clueless as him about his transfer. Ofcourse science and technology, Mr Saxena isnt a bad department. But still why was he shunted out? Grapevine gossip tells us a section deems his department responsible that the CM getting swine flu news could not be kept a secret. Ofcourse Mr Saxena also got swine flu. Another gossip loving officer says Mr Saxena has been transferred because the pseudo name given to honourable chief minister blood sample(the name Ramesh) was not appreciated.

· Mrs V L Joshi: the high profile officer after a series of high profile postings now finds herself shunted from Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation to Medical Services and Education. From being managing director of GUVNL to principal secretary energy and petrochemicals to GMDC and now to medical services and education: well, every one says it’s a real bad posting. But then social sector too deserves high profile officers isn’t it? The grapevine says the government was not happy about two things with Mrs Joshi: her proximity to an industrial house and her proximity

· Mr A Bhattacharya who is back from deputation has got a fairly good posting too as commissioner, land reforms.

· Mr Rajesh Kishore’s posting from food and civil supply to health secretary is also being viewed as a reward posting.

· Mr S Jagdeesan: Energy was a good department and its getting better for this officer. His new posting in Narmada water resources , Kalpasar is seen as a moving forward for this officer. Will the work he initiated in the energy department for converting all stations into environmental friendly gas based carbon credit earning power station go on?

· India’s longest serving officer on one post Mr D J pandian has finally bid goodbye to GSPC. There was a joke that Mr Pandian will not go till KG basin gas comes to Gujarat. Now as secretary energy and petrochemicals, he will continue ofcourse to weild the same power, rather more.

· Mr J P Gupta continues the stint of getting good postings. From commissioner VAT to commissioner Transport. Good going!

· V Thiru is back from Australia and will now be the new Information commissioner. His posting is being looked forward saying he would instill lot of creativity and innovation in the information department. He will be the man to watch out for and a lot of good is expected.

· Mr Atanu CHakravarty has been moved out from Gujarat Maritime Board to secretary finance. It is a good posting but still it is being talked that cash rich GMB was a better

Posting. Grapevine says he has been eased out as he was not very positive about investing in GSPC.

· H J Haider has been moved from Transport as CEO Of GUDC. It is a good posting as he can now show his creativity and build a good GIFT.

· Tapan Ray: among the 80 IAS officers who have been transferred, his posting is being viewd as the most prized posting. Cash rich GSPC is a 30,000 crore empire. Ray will be the king and will he sing the same tunes that Pandian did?

· VIpul Mitra : After a controversy with SEWA regarding audit and accounts, Mr Mitra ahd got into mainstream.

· B B Swain: Nice well read low profile officer who has got a high profile posting as industries commissioner. This man will deliver much more than what is expectedof him. Vibrant Gujarat 2011 is sure to rock. He got to know of his posting when he landed in Bangkok where he has gone for a Training the Trainers course along with deputy commissioner S K Langha.

· Mukesh Puri: a refine man who came back from deputation about five months back has got a powrerful posting as special commissioner VAT and commercial tax.

· Mr Sujit Gulati industries commissioner has been made development commissioner. His non ending differences with the Chief Secretary is speculated for this posting.

· R Raj kumar from science and technology to civil supplies will mean more work. But it’s a good posting. One wonders what happened to his plans of joining central government’s unique Identity Card project with Nandan Nilekani.

· Pankaj Kumar: Good officer gets a good posting. After his CMO stint, the new GMB posting is a good plum posting.

All the best to all officers!