Tiff with minister proves costly for babu

Within 45 days of taking the charge as Commissioner and Secretary in Food and Supplies Department, Syed Ahmed Baba, a 1988 batch IAS officer, was stripped of his additional charge on Friday. He will remain as the Secretary, Cooperation Department.

The reason for Baba's exit from the Food and Supplies Department is cited to his tiff with his department's minister Jyotipriya Mullick. On September 11, Mullick had complained about Baba to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following a series of differences with his secretary, said sources. Following which, Baba was summoned by the Chief Minister and reportedly told him he would not be able to work in the department.

Baba has become the fourth IAS officer in the last three months who have been axed for crossing swords with their respective ministers. The other three are Nihar Ranjan Banerjee, Reena Venkatraman and Subrata Gupta. (See box).

According to a section of officers at Khadya Bhavan, the head office of Food and Supplies Department, Baba objected to the procedures of tendering in some cases. He also invited the wrath of the minister for refusing to grant a further extension to the Director of District Distribution and Procurement (DDPS) Joydev Jana, who has already been given a two-year extension. Jana is considered very close to the minister.

"Baba first moved the file and sent it to the minister who cleared it. But when it came back to him he refused to endorse it. This angered the minister who complained to the chief minister against the official," an officer of the department said.

The minister said he removed Baba because he could not keep pace with his work. "He is a misfit in my department. He cannot keep pace with our work. He doesn't go well with other officials. I ca not work with such an official,'' Mullick told The Indian Express on Friday when asked why Baba was moved out.

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