New Delhi: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Wednesday removed IAS officer Prateek Hajela as the Madhya Pradesh health commissioner. Hajela was in-charge of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam until last year.
Sources in the MP government said Hajela has been removed for gross negligence in combating coronavirus. Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, a 1996-batch IAS officer, has now been made the health commissioner.
“The chief minister, while carrying out a review of the coronavirus situation, gave directions to remove the health commissioner (Hajela) for gross negligence. Directions have been issued to remove him with immediate effect,” said a senior Madhya Pradesh official who did not wish to be named.
The official said that the CM has given strict directions that no senior official will be spared if found lacking in their work to control the Covid-19 pandemic. An order to this effect was issued by the state chief secretary.
Also read: Assam NRC coordinator accuses Prateek Hajela of non-renewal of service as data goes missing
Why Chouhan got upset with Hajela
After taking charge as CM of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan has been taking regular meetings on the coronavirus situation. So far, 86 cases have been reported in the state, of which 20 were reported Wednesday. Five persons have died — three in Indore and two in Ujjain.
According to a source, Chouhan got upset with Hajela during a meeting Wednesday to review the situation.
“The chief minister asked him a few questions and he wasn’t able to respond. Also, he tried to give incorrect information, which the CM was able to catch as he keeps a diary and takes notes every day. The CM told him he doesn’t want insincere people and gave directions for his removal,” the source added.
Who is Hajela?
Hajela is an IAS officer (1995 batch) from the Madhya Pradesh cadre. On the directions of the Supreme Court, he was given the charge of updating the NRC in Assam.
As the NRC coordinator, Hajela had courted a number of controversies since the exclusion of almost 40 lakh people from the list, and had come under criticism from the BJP, which heads a three-party coalition in that state, for trying to publish an erroneous NRC.
The Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Assam government had suggested a re-verification exercise of documents in the districts bordering Bangladesh, but based on Hajela’s submission, the Supreme Court had turned it down. This had angered the BJP’s state unit.
Also read: Prateek Hajela — the ‘outsider’ who helped Assam determine who are its own
British made Bureaucratic system was to Rule and make fool the people of India.
This idiotic useless system doesn’t exist in whole World except India.
This is so unfortunate that this mad system is still running in India…. where people of no knowledge about a department becomes head of it and only passes orders to persons much educated and efficient than him.
As said by ex president Pranab Mukherjee in near past…, “ Bureaucracy is the biggest hurdle in the development of India.”
And yes it is 100 percent true .
And it is also true that they are more responsible for destruction of our country than our politicians , because politicians have fear for being not elected after five years but these people don’t have.
I hope this Mad system of Britishers Made for destruction of India will end soon from this Divine country.
Prateek Hajeela, IAS, had damaged Assam’s demography as co-ordinater of NRC. He had intentionally inserted more than 40 Lacs names of foreigners in NRC. He is a traitor. He knows no Nation or country’s integrity. He is selfish and interested in corruption. He had made fortune from Assam. He didn’t even paid salaries to the workers/ staffs worked for him. Left Assam even before handing over his charge to next officer and had locked or destroyed all the information stored in computer. He had left Assam in a soup. Many criminal cases were registered against him but he is avoiding it. Request the Madhya Pradesh government to make him available for the trial.
Prateek Hajeela, IAS, had damaged Assam’s demography as co-ordinater of NRC. He had intentionally inserted more than 40 Lacs names of foreigners in NRC. He is a traitor. He knows no Nation or country’s integrity. He is selfish and interested in corruption. He had made fortune from Assam. He didn’t even paid salaries to the workers/ staffs worked for him. Left Assam even before handing over his charge to next officer and had locked or destroyed all the information stored in computer. He had left Assam in a soup. His rate is 15% of contract amount. Many criminal cases were registered against him but he is avoiding it. Request the Madhya Pradesh government to make him available for the trial.
Right now there is no Health Minister in MP and the health minister in previous govt was removed as he was more interested in joining BJP with Scindia.
She Shivraj Sing is not able to appoint a health minister.
This is why he is frustrated.
This service was created for ruling, not for serving by British Raj. So now for protecting this status quoist mindset, they are big obstacle to citizen centric governance reforms. They are experts only in capturing posts at the expense of professionals
IAS officers are not really equipped to deal with healthcare or health crises, anyway. They are comfortable in tasks where no urgency or pressure is involved, files have to be circulated before anything is decided, there are no time frames or consequences for delay etc. Their administrative structure is also geared for creating jobs for bureaucrats, not for effectiveness – for example, they have a health secretary AND a health commissioner …. no real difference, but two bureaucrats get to be promoted rather than one, and enjoy perks like official housing, a car, foreign travel, staff and so on. The real work is done by doctors, nurses, paramedics and other grassroots workers; the decision making is done by politicians in any case, especially in this crisis; all these bureaucrats are doing is compiling statistics, that too not too well. In most countries with good governance, these days the top echelons of government health departments are headed by professionals. Typically, experienced doctors with experience of hospital administration, who were given formal training in healthcare management at top institutions; for example, many universities in Western countries run courses in public health management, etc. But in India, thanks to the hold of the IAS over the machinery and their focus on cornering top jobs, the professionals are stifled and the country gets appalling results from the healthcare system. Just look at the sorry state of our sarkari hospitals, where babies die in the dozens because of contaminated medicines, dogs roam the wards and so on.
My son having done his B Tech was employed with a American Company in Noida, I suggested that since Delhi has good coaching centre for coaching to appear for UPSC and why he should not try that? After all the prospect of serving as IPS or IAS or other cadres with Govt. is very lucrative and a job to do to serve his nation. One should not wonder at his reply that the UPSC cadres are not allowed to work for the nation rather they are meant to serve the politician and if the do not serve them well, they will find their life measurable. How TRUE and for him at his age it was prophetic. Look at Ashok Khemka IAS who is transferred 53 times in his 23 years service, look at the topper of 2010 IAS Shah Faesal who could not continue with service and he quit. Look at Gopinathan the District magistrate in Kerala who quit for one or the other reasons. And why not Prateek Hazela will face the music. He was transferred from Assam to MP on the orders of CHI Gogoi under whose supervision whole NRC was done and Prateek did not compromise with the Politicians who demanded of him certain ways of working that would give certain results and soon as the results ie final list was published he faced death threat and that was the reason for his transferred and now he faces what he must face. This Is what is India and to serve India is not that easy.
Firstly …Mr. Hajela sought deputation and so he was transferred to MP. Secondly……before criticising the service ,just look the robust procedure one has to go through for being in that position.
Very true Sir. Completely agree.