The controversy over the “premature” and “politically motivated” transfer of IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri Dasari from the post of Deputy Commissioner of Hassan district has been put to rest with the State government on Monday telling the Karnataka High Court that she would be posted back to Hassan by withdrawing the earlier transfer order.
Following a submission by a government counsel, a Division Bench comprising Justice H.G. Ramesh and Justice Mohammad Nawaz set aside the April 17 order of the Bengaluru bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal, which had upheld the March 7 Government Order of transferring her from the post of Hassan DC.
She had assumed the post of Hassan DC on July 17, 2017 and was shifted out, within seven months, on January 22, 2018. She had moved the tribunal against the transfer but she was continued as Hassan DC after the Election Commission of India (ECI) intervened and asked the government, then led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to continue her in the post till the finalisation of electoral list as her transfer was contrary to ECI’s election guidelines. On finalisation of electoral rolls, the government on March 7 again transferred her from the post and appointed her as Commissioner of Department of Employment and Training, Bengaluru. She approached the tribunal again alleging it was a “premature” transfer as she was eligible to continue in the post of Hassan DC for two years as per the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Amendment Rules, 2014, which gives a fixed tenure of two years for the cadre posts for the IAS officers. Mr. Rohini had also alleged in her petition before the Tribunal that her transfer was due to “political pressure” exerted by local politicians on the then Chief Minister as she had cracked down on mining mafia in the district.
The tribunal on March 21 disposed of her plea, asking her to give a representation to the Chief Secretary narrating grievances against transfer. however, the High Court set aside this order noting that tribunal had not gone into the process of adjudication in deciding her plea and remitted the plea back to the tribunal.
Later, the tribunal re-heard her plea and delivered a detailed judgment on April 17 uphelding her transfer from Hassan DC post. and quashed the amended rules of 2014, which was framed by the Union government on Supreme Court’s directions.
The High Court on April 27 stayed the tribunal judgment but she could not be posted back to Hassan in view of the model code of conduct. as the ECI had posted Dr. P.C. Jaffer to the post by transferring D. Randeep, who was posted as Hassan DC by the government by transferring Ms. Rohini.
With the change in government, she has now been posted back to Hassan. On Monday, the government issued a notification to this effect.
