Modi Government Sacks AIIMS Anti-Corruption Officer

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 21, 2014:  The Narendra Modi government is facing strong criticism for removing an anti-corruption officer from AIIMS, the country’s premier government hospital.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi, an Indian Forest Service officer known for his clean record, has written to PM Modi protesting against his removal on August 14 as Chief Vigilance Officer of AIIMS or All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

He has alleged that he was removed for going after corrupt officers and departments and has demanded a CBI investigation. His term would have ended in June, 2016.

The health ministry justifies the sacking; it says Mr Chaturvedi was appointed in violation of rules and the Central Vigilance Commission was not consulted.

"It was brought to my notice that Sanjiv Chaturvedi was not eligible for the post. Don’t make an issue out of it," Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

Sources say the person who brought the officer’s case to the minister’s notice was BJP MP and general secretary JP Nadda, a member of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Health.

"I was told that a person not eligible was made Chief Vigilance Officer. So I raised questions with the departments concerned. I wrote to the health minister earlier and again recently," Mr Nadda said.

Critics say an honest officer’s transfer flies in the face of PM Modi’s recent comment that "corruption is a deadlier disease than cancer."

According to documents revealed by a Right to Information query, Mr Chaturvedi took up several cases of financial irregularity and recommended action against officers. One case allegedly involved an officer from Himachal Pradesh, Mr Nadda’s home state.

Mr Chaturvedi was allegedly transferred 12 times in Haryana, where he had taken up cases of corruption including forest scams.

When he came to Delhi on central deputation two years ago, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda reportedly tried to stall the move until the Centre intervened. Then Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad assured in Parliament that the officer would not be persecuted or removed without reason.

A written order by the Prime Minister’s Office even made it mandatory for the Cabinet Secretary and Prime Minister to be consulted if Mr Chaturvedi was transferred before term.

Courtesy:NDTV