This story is from April 17, 2017

Tainted state officials leave Devendra Fadnavis in a bind

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' dream of providing a clean, transparent and corruption-free administration has received a major setback following the arrest of senior bureaucrat Milind Gawade and Nanded education officer Savita Barge on charges of graft.
Tainted state officials leave Devendra Fadnavis in a bind
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' dream of providing a clean, transparent and corruption-free administration has received a major setback following the arrest of senior bureaucrat Milind Gawade and Nanded education officer Savita Barge on charges of graft.
Gawade, an IAS officer from the 2007 batch, has been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Additional tribal development commissioner Gawade was dealing with a file pertaining to the promotion of 12 wardens in tribal schools in Thane district.
When he found that there were irregularities in their appointment, Gawade and his assistant, Kiran Mali, reportedly struck a deal with the wardens, who agreed to pay Rs 1 lakh each for regularizing their promotions. They were told to bring the money in mango cartons. A warden recorded the conversation he had with Gawade and Mali and brought it to the notice of Thane anti-corruption bureau (ACB) head Vikramsinh Nishandar. As Nishandar's team reached Gawade's office, he quietly left the office and Mali was caught red-handed. Gawade was later picked up from his residence. In Nanded, Barge demanded and accepted Rs 4 lakh from two teachers for payment of arrears of Rs six lakh to them. Post-demonetisation, it was expected that corruption would diminish. However, ACB records show that there is no fear of the law. After Fadnavis took over the reins, he had given directives to dismiss convicted employees and suspend those caught pocketing bribes. It was found that all departments were moving slowly on initiating disciplinary action.
Khadse rocks the boat
Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse has raised a banner of revolt against the BJP leadership. In the recent past, Khadse did not leave a single opportunity to target BJP ministers. On Saturday, he hosted a tea party for the opposition in his hometown Muktainagar in Jalgaon district. Members of the opposition members are on a statewide 'Sangharsha Yatra' against Fadnavis for his failure to declare a loan waiver for farmers. The agitation launched by NCP's Ajit Pawar and Congress's Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil gained momentum after BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh announced a loan waiver. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have already declared a loan waiver for farmers. Khadse is unhappy with the BJP leadership after a retired Bombay High Court judge was named to probe charges in connection with an illegal land deal. In the wake of charges of irregularities, Khadse had quit and asked Fadnavis to conduct an inquiry. While he expected that Fadnavis would ask a retired bureaucrat to investigate, a judge was appointed to conduct the inquiry. The CM had asked the judge to complete the probe within three months. Ten months on, while the inquiry is yet to be completed, the CM is yet to decide on whether or not to grant the judge an extension. Khadse approached Fadnavis to ascertain the status of the probe and if there was any scope for him to return to the state cabinet. He had to return empty handed as Fadnavis remained noncommittal.
Hunt for a PR firm
The general administration department (GAD) headed by Fadnavis has launched a massive search for a PR agency to ensure that decisions taken by the government reach the gram panchayat-level in an effective manner. The GAD has set up a 14-member committee headed by the director general of information and public relations and comprising directors of information and public relations department, officers on special duty to the CM and some finance department officials. The committee is expected to draft a public response network, so that on the basis of the feedback an action plan can be drafted. The committee will help the GAD in selecting a competent PR agency. Eyebrows are being raised over the appointment of a PR agency through competitive bids. A former director said, "It appears that the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations with a budget of Rs 75 crore has failed to deliver the goods, as a result, a search has been launched for a PR agency. Is CM winding up DGIPR?"
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