Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has transferred two senior IPS officers, D. Roopa and Hemant Nimbalkar, who were engaged in a public spar amid controversy over the tender process of the multi-crore ‘Safe City Project’.
Roopa, who was the first woman home secretary in the state, has now been posted as the managing director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation. Nimbalkar, who was serving as the additional commissioner (administration) in Bengaluru, has now been moved to the internal security department.
The transfers Thursday were part of a larger reshuffle of IAS and IPS officers in the state. But the changes made to the positions of these two officers indicate that the B.S. Yediyurappa government was in no mood to see public servants being involved in a spat.
Roopa has accused Nimbalkar of irregularities and bias during the tender process, while the latter has alleged that she was interfering with the process without jurisdiction.
Hours after she was shunted out, Roopa took to social media to voice her dejection in a series of tweets, adding that the transfer has measured her and an officer being “chargesheeted by the CBI” on the same scale. She was referring to the CBI probe into the multi-crore “IMA scam”.
Transferred today as MD, Handicrafts Emporium. My transfer is like putting me on an equal footing with other IPS officer Nimbalkar chargesheeted by CBI & CBI has recommended for Disciplinary action of Major Penalty against him in last December, one year ago, which is not yet done
— D Roopa IPS (@D_Roopa_IPS) December 31, 2020
Yes. I've always held tht. Transfers r part of govt job. I've been transferred more than double the times than number of years of my career. Whistleblowing&firm action is rift with risks& I know that. I continue to do my job uncompromisingly,this post or that post,doesn't matter https://t.co/5mr7xyxKg4
— D Roopa IPS (@D_Roopa_IPS) December 31, 2020
I am joining the new post tomorrow as posts don't matter to me. But what matters is, public interest must be upheld and the corrupt must be punished. If my shift paves the way for action on the corrupt, I welcome it.
— D Roopa IPS (@D_Roopa_IPS) December 31, 2020
“I am joining the new post tomorrow as posts don’t matter to me. But what matters is, public interest must be upheld and the corrupt must be punished. If my shift paves the way for action on the corrupt, I welcome it,” she said in a tweet.
ThePrint reached Nimbalkar for a comment via texts and calls but there was no response till the time of publishing this report.
Also read: Covid cuts temple revenue by 94% in Karnataka, annual earning down to Rs 18.7 crore
Exchange of allegations
According to Roopa, as the head of the tender inviting committee, Nimbalkar favoured certain interested players in clear violation of norms.
Speaking to ThePrint, she said, “I was a whistleblower. I exposed the irregularities. I was asked by the chief secretary to look into it.”
She added, “Is it my fault that I brought the illegalities in the tender and saved public money, not Rs 1 crore but Rs 1,067 crore (the project cost).” The first phase of the project, however, is worth Rs 667 crore.
The irregularities were first claimed by state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) last month.
“I noticed in the official documents that there were several irregularities claimed by Bharat Electronics Limited in the tender process of the Nirbhaya Safe City Project which were prima facie true. BEL had also sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the discrepancies,” she said, adding that she carried out her duties as a bona fide public servant.
Earlier, Nimbalkar had alleged that someone was trying to get access to classified information with respect to the tender in the project, impersonating as the home secretary “without lawful authority”.
Roopa responded to that charge claiming that Rajneesh Goel, Additional Chief Secretary (Home Department), had asked her to probe the case.
With Goel saying that the file was never marked to her and her comments or observations were not recorded, Roopa said she did not have any comments in the file because it was not officially marked to her, but Goel had personally handed it over to her.
On Sunday, Nimbalkar told reporters that the tender process was not biased or complete as the final date for the submission of bids was 8 January.
The project in question
The row is over the Bengaluru Smart City project that is being executed under the Nirbhaya Fund.
The Centre had announced this fund in 2013 to support initiatives by state governments and NGOs for projects involving women’s safety. These projects can include setting up of CCTVs and video feed monitoring, GIS-based crime mapping for predictive policing, creating a safer urban infrastructure, and efficient access to law enforcement agencies.
The Karnataka government will bear 40 per cent of the total cost of this project.
Also read: The political U-turns and flip-flops by superstar Rajinikanth since 1996
जय मां भारत के कुल देवी।
Hats off to you, you have the admiration and respect of not just me but the entire nation !!! It takes tonnes of courage and grit to do what you are doing. Please continue your amazing work in revealing the truth and bringing the corrupt to justice. We need more and more people like you to move our country forward . God bless you
This highly decorated officer Ms. D. Roopa IPS should be treated with the respect and must not be transferred to an insignificant posting. Such officers who fearlessly act and report the various irregularities committed with an intent to defraud the public exchequer and partake in the loot should be properly appreciated and rewarded. But more often than not such crusaders only get the stick and those who acquisce and keep quiet when crores of public money are looted are rewarded for their silence and inaction.