Govt transfers top official

Govt transfers top official
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

GANDHINAGAR, NOV 30: Within hours of Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel asserting that he would not hesitate to transfer any official found guilty in passing on sensitive topographical maps to a private firm for a government project, the State Government on Wednesday transferred Principal Secretary (Forests and Environment) Prabir Basu.

The Chief Minister's decision to transfer the senior bureaucrat follows the weekly post-Cabinet meeting press conference, where Patel was grilled by a volley of questions about the government's stance on the issue. Cornered by reporters, who asked if Basu was being shielded, the Chief Minister said the government had no intention of protecting any official. He said he had asked Chief Secretary L.N.S. Mukundan to inquire into the matter and submit a detailed report ``at the earliest.''

Patel fumbled for an answer when categorically asked if he would suspend or transfer Basu or any official in the matter and only said, ``Anyone found playing truant with national security would be taken to task.'' A few hours later, the General Administration Department issued orders transferring Basu as the Revenue Inspection Commissioner, in place of P G Ramrakhiani, who retires on Thursday. Principal Secretary (Environment) Arjun Singh will hold Basu's charge.

In reply to a question, the Chief Minister said there was no question of the government requesting the Gujarat High Court to order an inquiry by the State CID instead of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It may be recalled that the High Court had asked the CBI to investigate into the case following a public interest litigation alleging that the maps were passed on to Geotech Datamatics, a Gandhinagar-based private firm, without permission of the Defence Ministry.

Patel had no reply when it was pointed out that the Chief Secretary was trying to shield Basu by reportedly adopting the view that the High Court be requested to ask the CID to inquire into the case. When asked for a categorical reply, a visibly perturbed Patel said, ``The Chief Secretary is not the supreme authority and the government has no objection to the CBI inquiring into the case.''

Patel, who was not even aware if the Chief Secretary had filed an affidavit in reply to the High Court notice to the government following the petition, admitted this was a sensitive issue involving national security and would be given due importance.

The Chief Minister was caught off-guard when reporters tested him by saying that the Chief Secretary had tried to shield Basu in his affidavit filed before the High Court.

A late evening clarification by the State Information Department stated that the CS had not filed any reply in the court so far.

Minister of State for Home, Border Security and Information Haren Pandya, who also replied to certain questions by the reporters at the press brieing, too had no information on whether Mukundan had filed an affidavit on the issue.

He kept on saying that the government was concernd about the sensitive nature of the maps for their transfer to a private party and that it would inquire into all aspects of the case, including the affidavit of the CS.