National   

`Did not take up assignment for personal reasons'

Nirmala Buch, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, writes:

I write with reference to the news item "Anand appointed NHRC chief" on February 13, last in The Hindu. Let me at the outset place on record that I regretted my inability to take up this assignment almost a week ago for personal reasons and not because `well wishers' advised me due to the alleged observations in the judicial enquiry report into the Bhopal riots of 1992. Because I am settled in Bhopal, my personal problems regarding shifting full time to Delhi are well known to my friends and this is not the first time that I have declined any assignment or decided to leave an assignment early. I also assume that in view of the fact that what the news item refers to in Para 1, the media reports on the land case of M.P. which has a moral dimension and the book written by Shri Jethmalani did not come in the way of appointment of Chairman, the alleged observations of the judicial commission, even if these were true, would not come in the way of appointment of a member. Even as it is for reasons best known to the Madhya Pradesh Government the report of that enquiry has not been made public so far though it is reportedly with them at least for two years. The Commission too when it had called me for evidence towards the end of its working did not ask me any question on the point of deployment of forces which it would have done when acting judicially if there was any such evidence of my not taking action and any such conclusion was to be made by it.

Deployment of forces is handled by the Home Department and the Madhya Pradesh Government has thereafter not only made the then Home Secretary Chief Secretary but also placed him in a post with Minister's status after the said report is with them. Officers directly connected with the maintenance of law and order at Bhopal at that time have also been promoted with the DM becoming Secretary and the SP as IGP. It is also on record that all the available forces in the State had been deployed at the time and the Central Home Ministry had expressed inability to spare any forces even when contacted telephonically repeatedly as they had deployed them in Ayodhya.

I was not removed as Chief Secretary as alleged due to the appointment of judicial enquiry which was not related to the whole State but specifically to two districts. The whole State had otherwise remained peaceful and under control. It was public knowledge in the State that the then Governor had announced the transfer of the Chief Secretary and the DGP but neither his adviser nor the Government of India agreed to his announcement. It took him 10 days and visits to Delhi to make a matter of personal prestige affect these transfers. Even then I was not transferred as he wanted but posted as Secretary in Government of India and the DGP was posted as DG ITBP — both positions of important responsibility.

The Governor had not liked that I had earlier personally brought to his notice financial irregularities in his Secretariat and sought his consent to shift the staff concerned (which he refused) and had also advised him that the State was under President's rule and not Governor's rule and the administration had to be carried out not arbitrarily but as per clear instructions and guidelines of the Government of India.

Incidentally, thereafter the successive governments of Shri Narasimha Rao and Shri Deve Gowda thought me fit to be made not only Secretary to the Government of India but also Member and Acting Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board and Adviser to the Governor of Gujarat during President's rule and Vice-Chairman of the apex environmental body, the National Environmental Appellate Authority.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Entertainment | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• All-party meet likely on raising State subjects in LS
• BJP flays Opposition stand on Ayodhya
• TRAI approves induction of more cellular operators
• 'Break the silence on Iraq'
• DAE keen to speed up construction of reactor
• Kashmir panel not winding up: Jethmalani
• Govt. committed to promoting education: Advani
• IGNOU honour for UNESCO official
• Air Sahara to connect smaller cities
• I won't rest till BJP is defeated: Laloo
• Arundhati Roy supports tribals' cause
• `Did not take up assignment for personal reasons'
• SC contempt notice to 8 Kerala lawyers
• National Forest Commission formed
• Social security number for PF subscribers
• Thengadi declines Padma award

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu