A complaint of human rights violation has been registered against Chief Secretary of Karnataka Vijay Bhaskar and 9 other IAS officers on April 29 by the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC). The complaint was reportedly filed by Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officer K Mathai.

Transferred 27 times in 10 years

According to The News Minute, the complainant IAS officer was transferred for 27 times over a span of 10 years since he had exposed a scam worth Rs 300 crore in Mandya Urban Development Authority (MUDA).  Reportedly, a case has been registered under Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution.

Mathai in the complaint said, “I request your good offices to register a complaint against Principal Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) Services, Govt of Karnataka and to grant justice and proper compensation for the mental agony I was made to undergo.” The complaint reportedly was accepted after two months delay by the KSHRC which stated that it had no jurisdiction in this matter. He reportedly had argued his case saying that government employees also have rights and their violation should be treated as a human rights violation. He had alleged that a group of 10 IAS officers had caused him mental harassment and agony.

He alleged that during his tenure with the MUDA, he had written a report on how it lost Rs 300 crore due to illegal allotment of land. I was transferred to serve as Special Land Acquisition Officer in Hoovinahadagali but the Mandya DC did not let me go stating election code and now they have withheld my pay,” K Mathai alleged.

No promotions

He further alleged that his promotion has been withheld since 2012, since he had exposed a Rs 2,000 crore scam in the BBMP while he was serving as the head of advertising in the civic body. Additionally, he accused that the Department of Personnel and Administrative Services has falsely accused him of weakening the SAKALA scheme which was introduced in 2011.

I have suffered mental agony because of my fight against corruption. I consider a letter written by the then Minister for Housing Dr M H Ambareesh (dated 24-5-2014) as the source for my frequent transfers and problems,” he alleged. Apparently, the IAS officer had also written a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to ask for an opportunity to discuss the issue, however, despite several requests, he was not granted the appointment.

However, this is not the first time that an IAS officer has been transferred simply for doing his job. Transfer and posting orders were issued by the Haryana government on Sunday, March 3, with immediate effect for nine IAS officers, including senior bureaucrat Ashok Khemka of the 1991 batch. He has been transferred 52 times in his 27 years of active service, reported Scroll.

Also Read: Price Of Honesty: IAS Officer Ashok Khemka Transferred For The 52nd Time In 27 Yrs