New Delhi, Feb 28: As the Lok Sabha elections 2014 are fast approaching, the UPA government has come under scanner for another scam. According to Times Now report, the controversy is related to the sudden ouster of the Union health and family welfare secretary and IAS officer Keshav Desiraju. On February 11 this month, Desiraju was transferred to the department of consumer affairs during cabinet reshuffle, while AIDS Control department Secretary Luv Verma was given additional charge as health secretary. The Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is said to be involved in the capable officer Desirajus ouster. The top PMO official reportedly put pressure on Desiraju to clear Ketan Deasis file. In an alleged secret fightback note, it has been claimed that Azad had written to the cabinet secretary that why Desiraju must go. When reporters asked him on his ouster, Azad evaded questions and instead attacked the shunned bureaucrat. Shockingly, the PMO has remained silent on the medical scam, that has resurface now. Now, after coming under medias scanner, cornered Azad has been forced to expalin that why he tried to undo the MCIs decision. Azad has said that he initially did not want to accept Desais nomination. On being questioned for backing graft tainted ex-Medical Council of India (MCI) chief Dr Ketan Desai, Azad has reportedly given a long winded reply. Azad has been accused of shunting Desiraju, an IAS officer of 1978 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, who opposed him because he did not give his go ahead to the re-appointment of ex-MCI boss, who was jailed on corruption charges. Under pressure to explain, Azad tried to throw dirt back at the bureaucrat. When Azad was questioned about Desirajus transfer within 11 months of his appointment, he said these were ‘administrative things. I dont think people should get into it. Officers and ministers portfolios change. It is a regular affair. He (Desiraju) is a capable officer, he said. Sources said that the decision to transfer Desiraju was taken by the PMO, due to issues with the Cabinet secretariat. Alleging foul-play, many health ex-secretaries and former bureaucrats had written to the PM Dr Manmohan Singh, that why Desiraju was removed without following any procedure. Desiraju had joined the Ministry as an Additional Secretary in 2010, after completing his tenure as the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand. The tainted Dr Ketan Desais name first emerged in 2000 when the Income Tax Department had raided his house and established a corruption charge against him. In 2010, he was arrested by the CBI on corruption and disproportionate assets charges and is said to be currently out on bail. Read more at: oneindia/india/upa-medical-scam-ghulam-nabi-azad-cornered-over-desirajus-transfer-1404253.html
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:20:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015