Bhopal: Following his corruption claims against state officials in a private social media group of IAS officers, which were leaked, the government has issued a show-cause notice to an IAS official in Madhya Pradesh.
For personal reasons, Lokesh Jangid requested a three-year deputation to his home state of Maharashtra. However, he stated in the hacked tweets that he was constantly reassigned due to his unwillingness to accept corruption. He claimed he was transferred nine times in four and a half years.
The state government served the officer with a showcause notice for “indiscipline” and requested a response within a week. Cabinet minister Vishvas Sarang confirmed the notification, saying that transfers and postings are standard administrative practise.
“The same officer was transferred even during the Congress regime, so how has he become so dear to the Congress now? No officer is bigger than the system. Every officer has to abide by civil services conduct rules, which have been violated by the concerned officer,” the minister said.
Mr Jangid was relocated from Barwani after revealing corruption in the acquisition of medical equipment during the Covid epidemic, according to the opposition Congress. State Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja demanded that the Chief Minister, ministers, and officials involved come clean.
On May 31, Mr Jangid was promoted to extra mission director at Rajya Shiksha Kendra in Bhopal, from the position of additional collector of Barwani district.
The transfer occurred when the current Barwani district collector, Shivraj Singh Verma, turned Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan against him since his interests were being hindered, according to the 2014 batch IAS official. He pointed out that both the Chief Minister and the Collector are from the Kirar community. Their spouses were Kirar Mahsabha office bearers.
The official also had harsh words for his superiors. “Of course, who’s who in bureaucracy these days is merely Nero’s Guests,” he wrote.
A top official was enraged by the posts and told him to “have some decorum” and remove all of them. Mr Jangid declined, stating that he may be kicked out of the organisation. After that, he was kicked out.
In an interview with the media, the young IAS official verified the tweets but declined to expand on their contents, claiming ignorance of how the leak occurred.
“For pressing family problems, I have asked an inter cadre assignment to Maharashtra for three years,” he added.
Mr Jangid was asked whether his recent move was the cause for his request for a move “Every government has the authority to make transfers and postings. I don’t have anything negative to say about the government. Since my initial posting as SDM-Vijaypur in Sheopur district, my field postings have provided me with a great deal of joy, particularly the joy of working to my full potential in tribal regions.”
