Bihar Poll: Election Commission to deploy IPS officers as police observers; PSU officials to be roped in as micro observers

Election Commissioners while announcing Bihar poll dates on September 9

THE Election Commission of India has planned to deploy some IPS officers as police observers at the district level during the forthcoming Bihar poll, the dates of which were announced on Wednesday. The state having 243 assembly constituencies will go to polls in five phases starting from...

Nitish’s Top Bureaucrat: Meet Bihar’s new chief secretary A K Sinha

Sinha: A Key Officer in Bihar's Dream Project

DURING the last few months, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has been aggressively chasing his dream of building a Dubai-like world city on the bank of the Ganges. He managed to get noted architect Hafeez Contractor to map out the plan of building high-rise apartments with water sports facilities on the river side. And now, chief minister elevated his trusted officer for the project, 1976 batch IAS Ashok Kumar Sinha, as Bihar’s next chief secretary.
Unlike most IAS officers…

No hard cash, Bihar bureaucrats own cows, rifles, TVS Scooty!

IF YOU thought you would spot billionaires by scanning asset declaration papers of Bihar bureaucrats you are wrong. As declaration of assets including movable ones are being uploaded in state government websites, you would instead notice how bureaucrats in Bihar have a wide range of asset class from cash and jewellery to cows and rifles.

Most of the assets are traditional in nature --- flats, GPF, NSS, postal savings, LIC policies, vehicles etc. with a little exposure to equity market.

Significantly, state water resources secretary and 1979 batch IAS Afzal Amanullah owns a rifle, a revolver and a double barrel gun. Amanullah was the principal secretary in the department of home between 2006 and 2009. Also, Magadh division commissioner and 1989 batch Bihar cadre IAS Vivek Singh also owns a revolver. Thanks to his writing skills, he earns Rs 1 lakh per year as royalty from his earlier publications.

Another interesting entry in asset class is possession of cows and calves by bureaucrats. Muzaffarpur DM and 1997 batch IAS Santosh Kumar Mall cannot match Lalu Prasad’s possession of domestic animals, but his wife seems to have a passion for pets as she possesses two cows and two calves! Banka DM and 2006 batch IAS Adesh Titarmare too owns two cows and a TVS Scooty!

Bihar Effect: Rajasthan may ask its bureaucrats to declare assets publicly

RAJASTHAN may follow Bihar in asking its bureaucrats including IAS and IPS to declare their assets publicly. It was indicated by none other than state chief minister Ashok Gehlot after a crucial cabinet meeting held on Friday. Gehlot told reporters that the issue of posting assets and liabilities of IAS, IPS officers etc. at government websites was discussed in the cabinet meeting.

The Rajasthan government is also looking at the legal issues as in some states like Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, a handful of bureaucrats had challenged state information commissioner’s order of making their assets public in certain cases. Currently, the government officials need to declare assets, but it has not been made public so far.

A few days ago, Rajasthan government officials made enquiries at Bihar’s General Administration Department how it had asked Class I, II and III officials to furnish details about their assets and keep a deadline of February 28. Bihar government has repeatedly mentioned that it would not allow relaxation of the deadline on any ground.

SMS puts a lady IAS officer on the dock

A local court of Andhra Pradesh has directed the police to book a case against 1981 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer K Ratna Prabha for allegedly threatening a woman of Hanumanthunipadu village near Kanigiri. The victim produced a number of SMSes sent by Ratna Prabha as evidences in the court.

According to some reports, the IAS officer suspected the role of her husband Vidyasagar, also an IAS officer in helping the woman purchase a huge piece of property. 

Action and Appointments

KTS. Tulsi, Senior Advocate has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the 19th Law Commission of India on a part-time basis. In addition to him, there are two full-time members and eight part-time members currently in position in the Commission. The 19th Law Commission of India was constituted on September 1, 2009 for period of three years. Currently, Justice PV Reddy, retired Judge of the Supreme Court is the Chairman and Dr BA Agrawal is the Member Secretary of the Commission.

Two young IAS officers of 2005 batch set the ball rolling by declaring assets including jewellery, cars, TV and mobile

AS Bihar government’s January 31 deadline for all officers to declare their assets drawing near, two IAS officers of 2005 batch, Kuldip Narayan and Balamurugan D set the ball rolling by declaring their assets and liabilities including minor details such as buying of televisions and mobile phones.

Significantly, Saran district magistrate Kuldip Narayan and Gopalganj district magistrate Balamurugan D have put up their declaration in official websites for public view. Hailing from UP, Narayan is a mechanical engineer from IIT Kanpur whereas Balamurugan D from Tamil Nadu is an agriculture graduate.

In his four-page declaration, Narayan mentioned about the current valuation of his mutual funds at Rs 1.15 lac and shares worth Rs 40, 069. Neither he nor his wife possesses any agriculture land. Narayan has Rs 5.85 lac in PPF whereas his wife has Rs 2.47 lac in PPF account. He has also mentioned the valuation of his wife’s gold ornaments, a Samsung TV and even a mobile handset.

Balamurugan D, another 2005 batch Bihar cadre IAS, mentioned in his publicly displayed return how his father and his younger brother have not divided their properties in their ancestral house in Tamil Nadu. Balamurugan D too gave details about cash in hand (mere Rs 1,160) and deposits in bank account (Rs 32,534) accounted up to January 19, 2011.

In April 2007, Kuldip Narayan, a Brahmin, hogged the limelight when he got married an Indian Economic Service official, Renulata who happens to be an OBC. The media highlighted the marriage as it defied Bihar’s caste logic in matrimonial and political alliance. (In Picture: Kuldip Narayan and Renulata, 2007)

Whereas it’s much easier for these two young officers to declare their assets publicly, it remains to be seen whether those who have amassed wealth would find it comfortable to do the same.

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has asked all officials not just to declare assets of self and immediate relatives but to put those in public domain. This has further put pressure on other state governments and even the Central governments to issue such dictates amid allegations of corruption in public life.

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Kuldip Narayan’s property return

Balamurugan D’s property return

Bihar Shows The Way: On January 31 Nitish govt to make bureaucrats' assets public

THERE is nothing unofficial about it. Nitish Kumar government of Bihar has asked its bureaucrats to compulsorily submit details of their assets which would be made public by January 31. That’s not all. Those who fail to declare their assets may not get their salary too, media reports said.

Already politicians of the country need to declare their assets every time they file their nominations for contesting any elections. Now, bureaucrats in Bihar will have to file the details moveable, immoveable assets along with property details of their spouses and children. With 242 IAS officers in the state, Bihar will be the first state to publicly declare the assets of bureaucrats.

On its guidance for 2011, BoI (babusofindia.com) wrote on December 31 that sooner or later, Indian bureaucrats may have to place the movable and immovable assets in public domain in the same way as Indian politicians currently do. “The latest salvo has come from Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who with a renewed mandate is determined to bring in transparency and accountability to administration. Remember Nitish Kumar is the flavour of the season, and his direction to the state’s IAS officers to declare their assets and those of there kin by January 31, may have ripple effects in other states too,” BoI report said.

In fact, during the beginning of 2010, senior bureaucrats in Delhi had a brainstorming on the subject, but the consensus remained a firm “no” to disclosure. But the question is how long bureaucrats will say “no” to it?

Action and Appointments

a) Ramanand Tiwari, a 1972 batch retired IAS and chief information commissioner of Maharashtra government continues to attend office even after the state government had recommended his suspension and reportedly barred him from remaining present in office till the inquiry into Adarsh scam gets over.