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Kalyan Singh ignores corruption in the bureaucracy

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

The mandarins have done it again. As they have done so often in the past the crafty bureaucrats of Uttar Pradesh have managed once again to manipulate the chief minister's much publicised campaign against corruption to their advantage. Their success manifested itself in Kalyan Singh's recent condemnation of the UP IAS Officers Association's novel manner of identifying the three most corrupt civil servants in the state through a secret ballot -- an exercise that had received nationwide notice, and applause.

"This is no way to identity the corrupt," the chief minister said on two recent occasions, dealing a severe blow to the first-ever such crusade by a section of the bureaucracy.

For the crusaders against the highly corrupt state bureaucracy, this was a big jolt. All through this past year -- after the first such ballot was held -- these civil servants have been banging their heads against a wall of indifference. Neither Governor Romesh Bhandari nor Mayawati, as head of the Bahujan Samaj Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government, took kindly to anything directed towards rooting out corruption. Thus given Kalyan Singh's reputation of being an upright politician, his taking over the reins of governance in Lucknow in October evoked much enthusiasm among the bureaucrats who spearheaded the anti-graft movement.

No sooner had the chief minister trained his guns against his predecessor Mayawati's alleged corruption, renewed hope was kindled among the crusaders. "I am sure the chief minister will initiate action against these corrupt officers who have not only brought the country's elite service into disrepute but are also responsible for the various maladies affecting the state," a senior IAS officer, involved with the anti-corruption movement, told Rediff On The NeT.

This impression was quickly dispelled. Addressing a meeting of senior civil servants, Kalyan Singh remarked, 'the entire IAS cadre is getting a bad name on account of this secret ballot to identity the three most corrupt.' It was clear that he had no intention of rubbing the powerful mandarins the wrong way.

What disappointed many upright civil servants was that even while he was gunning for Mayawati for her alleged financial irregularities, he turned a blind eye to similar foul play committed by a number of senior administrators.

When this correspondent asked the chief minister why he employed such double standards, he retorted, "I am willing to initiate action even on a complaint by an ordinary citizen, but I cannot hang someone simply because a group of people choose to label him as corrupt." He said he would institute a formal probe only if specific allegations were made by the association "or by anybody else."

When Kalyan Singh's attention was drawn towards the visible wealth acquired by certain bureaucrats in gross disproportion to their legitimate sources of income, he shot back, "in that case somebody must make a complaint with appropriate prima facie evidence."

"I have already ordered the swift disposal of all pending inquiries against the civil servants. Let me make it clear that none, regardless of his position, will go scot-free." But the CM was at a loss to explain how he would tackle those who had managed to even elude the vigilance dragnet, despite having enough financial cadavers in their closet. This list, observers in the bureaucracy point out, includes one who has been identified as UP's 'most corrupt' IAS officer.

Crusaders in the IAS Officers Association found much similarity in the statements made by the chief minister and those association members opposed to the identification of the corrupt. One of the latter, D K Mittal, who led the offensive against the secret ballot, is a member of the CM's secretariat and is said to wield considerable influence over Kalyan Singh.

Ironically, even though Mittal is rated an upright officer, he is known to be close to the bureaucrat, who tops the list of UP's 'most corrupt.' Some IAS officers believe he led the campaign against the secret ballot largely to defend his "friend, philosopher and guide." Known for his persuasive skills, Mittal is understood to have influenced many honest colleagues to stay away from the voting last year. He bitterly opposed the secret ballot during that fiery meeting of the association where a resolution to identify the most corrupt was passed.

Mittal was among the few loud voices heard that day. He asked the crusaders, "Who are you to identity the most corrupt? and "Do you think that somebody will become corrupt simply because you say that he is corrupt?" Another upright IAS officer close to Kalyan Singh defended the state's 'most corrupt' bureaucrat thus: 'So what if he is corrupt, at least he is dynamic and efficient.'

"It would be far more meaningful to persuade the man to mend his ways rather than condemn him publicly by declaring him as the most corrupt," this civil servant told Rediff On The NeT.

Interestingly, Kalyan Singh allowed this 'most corrupt' officer to continue with an important assignment, despite a decision taken to remove him from the post.

The second 'most corrupt' officer identified in the ballot has also received patronage from the BJP government; this bureaucrat has political connections as well. The two officers are now doing everything they can to get the secret ballot stalled and have sought the assistance of a senior BJP minister who is himself alleged to be neck-deep in corruption.

Kalyan Singh would probably have fixed this minister who was close to Mayawati. But this BJP leader escaped censure by seeking support from Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP's upright candidate for the prime ministership.

Undaunted by the odds, the crusaders in the civil service in UP have decided to go ahead with their pre-scheduled second round of voting to identify another set of three most corrupt officers in the state. benami transactions."

While blaming corruption at the higher levels in the bureaucracy as the root cause of the state's problems, Pandey adds, "deterrent action against the corrupt bureaucracy alone will do wonders to the chief minister's commitment to ensure an effective delivery system."

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