In a bid to prevent further embarrassment over the public spat between two senior bureaucrats, the State government on Tuesday shunted out Managing Director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation D. Roopa and Endowment Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri from their current responsibilities without a posting.
Husband too
In an unanticipated move, the spouse Ms. Roopa, Munish Moudgil, Commissioner of Survey Settlement and Land Records, was also been transferred as Principal Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
The action against the two women officers had been anticipated since Sunday after the controversy blew out in public over their social media posts. Government sources said that the action came “a little too late” as the government could have intervened on Sunday by asking both to refrain from making any public comments.
Complaint to CS
Since the first social media post of Ms. Roopa on Sunday in which she accused Ms. Sindhuri of wrongdoing and also made some personal remarks, the controversy had snowballed into an embarrassment to the government, as the former had continued her tirade on Monday too. Both officers had been summoned by Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma and were asked to refrain from making any more public comments. Both complained against each other to the Chief Secretary in writing and sought action on their complaints. The two have also accused each other of violating All-India Services Conduct Rules.
The spat and its fallout were discussed informally during the Cabinet meeting on Monday, as the government faced the accusation of mishandling the situation.
