Bengaluru: Karnataka cadre IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, dubbed “Lady Singham” for her refusal to bow to political pressure, has been transferred out of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, to which she had been posted only seven months ago.
This is Sindhuri’s fourth transfer for taking on political heavyweights in the state. The BJP government transferred Sindhuri on 20 September, allegedly for refusing to use her department funds for flood relief. Late Tuesday evening, she got her new posting order.
Sindhuri is now the Commissioner for Sericulture Development.
Sources in the labour department told ThePrint that Sindhuri, a 2009-batch IAS officer, has been shunted out as she refused to divert nearly Rs 1,000 crore from the corpus fund of the workers’ welfare board — a move that has allegedly irked Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
Sources also said that she stood up to a senior official who allegedly tried to force her to allot work to another department without following the tendering process.
Also read: Now, Siddaramaiah’s Krishi Bhagya scheme under probe, Yediyurappa govt says funds ‘misused’
Meeting that may have sealed move
A source said in a recent meeting attended by CM Yediyurappa, chief secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar and labour secretary P. Manivannan and senior officers of the labour department, it was suggested that a part of the welfare board’s funds be diverted towards flood relief.
Sindhuri was initially asked to part with Rs 3,000 crore from the Rs 8,000 crore corpus fund of her board, and then an additional Rs 1,000 crore towards facilitating food packets, furniture and lighting in construction sites where flood relief is being undertaken.
“She was also threatened with a transfer if she did not abide by the suggestion to divert funds. She did not budge,” the source said.
Another senior official in the department, who was present in the meeting, said when the idea to divert the funds was mooted, Sindhuri argued that the Supreme Court has been closely monitoring the use of funds from various departments, and that there are strict and clear guidelines about how the money can be spent.
She added that in the last eight years, her department was able to spend just Rs 500 crore, and was now suddenly being asked to part with Rs 3,000 crore. The official added that she said it would amount to wasteful expenditure.
“She cited the example of a family which is used to spending Rs 10,000 a month suddenly being given Rs 1 crore to spend. They will waste the money is what she argued,” the official said. “This may have irked the CM, who also holds the labour portfolio.”
Sindhuri is well known in the state for her ‘upright stand’. In her previous stints, she has had cracked down on the sand mafia in Sakaleshpur and surrounding areas, and locked down a PWD inspection bungalow that a state minister was using as an election office.
She has been put under pressure, issued show-cause notices, and transferred, but even then, she has stuck to her guns, making it clear that she won’t bow to the pressure.
Also read: Karnataka’s Indira canteens struggle for funds amid fears they may shut down soon
‘Complaints against board’
Another senior labour department official said Sindhuri has been transferred as there were complaints against the welfare board she headed.
On 19 September, a day before she was transferred, a group of trade unions representing 3,000 workers submitted a letter with 12 points on the functioning of the board.
Sindhuri, however, dismissed the allegations. “I am very hurt by this,” she told ThePrint. “In this posting, I have been working on a lot of projects, and if I can stay back, I would like to show what positive work can be done.”
“All the honesty and hard work will go to waste if you are unable to deliver an end result to the projects that you have taken up,” she added.
Labour secretary P. Manivannan, who was in the meeting that allegedly caused her transfer, said Sindhuri should approach the chief secretary if she is aggrieved.
“Transfers are the prerogative of the government,” he said. “It is between the officer and the government. If she feels she has been removed when she is doing good work, she can write to the chief secretary.”
Also read: How Amit Shah has ruined the party for Yediyurappa and BJP in Karnataka
(The report has been updated with her new posting details.)
She is good forfarmence rohini sindhu medam
What these corrupt politicians and officials hate are honest upright people, more so if they are women. Wake up guys, they make nearly half the population and run your life at home. You are willing to listen to them there, what is your problem in the office?
How do you know she is upright ?? am saying she might be number 1 corrupt person
Ur the worst person in the world ever I have seen…. Talking wrong about a senciere ias officer
Hell we need leaders like them running the country.with a population of 1.6 billion people every rupee counts i don’t get it won’t be easier for everyone if the ruppee value is equivalent to the dollar then politicians wonts need to find more places to hide their notes?
Cutie pie IAS officer??
I wish she is my officer?