AGARTALA, January 27 (TIWN): Undue exercise of authority by the people in power is scaling new heights in the state and to add insult to the injuries the same is practiced against the elite bureaucrats of the state. The victim here is a veteran Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official S.K.Rakesh and the department concerned is Rural Development (RD).Prior to the Transfer, the officer was in charge Principal Secretary of RD. But his proactive involvement and fights against ceaseless corruption at rural Tripura, seems to have created fear among the Ministers and with immediate effect S.K.Rakesh has been pushed out from RD and his new portfolio is State Election Commissioner. Furthermore nepotism, immorality and adverse use of red tapism have reached to such an extent in the state that audacious anarchy has grasped the entire state. When Principal Secretary (RD) S.K.Rakesh asked the Chief Engineer (RD) for initiating necessary action against the wrongdoings in the Rajnagar RD block on last December 6, 2014, instead of actions against corrupting Chief Minister immediately removed S.K.Rakesh on 13th January to safeguard corrupt officials.

TIWN has an exclusive access to a letter issued from the office of the Principal Secretary (RD) to Chief Engineer (RD).  

Using no ambiguity in his letter the Principal Secretary had clearly written “Junior Engineers / Technical assistants  who are working as I/Os for construction works are not recording progress in Measurement Block (MB) at regular interval…… …. This practice is not known to Assistant Engineers and Executive Engineers”. Relating to the same, Mr. Rakesh has devised strict actions for all the implementing officers. Moreover large number of computers , printers and scanners are reported to remain unused in the store of Block Development Officers (BDO), Rajnagar Block where the office of the Executive Engineers do not possess  a single computer. Now, that is an instance of sheer mismanagement. 

An exact assertion from the letter of the Principal Secretary is quoted here: “It is also seen that materials which are purchased from outside store against specific work order are not received by I/O himself. This practice is not acceptable and must be stopped immediately.” Severe scams at block level have become a just like another event in the state. And the condition is worsening day after another. Now, stringent measures are being observed from the galore of Melarmath and Secretrtait to put an end to all the ways which can unearth corruption. So amidst this sort of terrifying circumstance when the protector becomes the predator, the common men have nowhere to go. 

Adding to that, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar became angry with the Police when he came to know that his most reliable Former Chief Secretary has been brought under the Police investigation. Reportedly, Sarkar directed top notch police officials to look into the investigation report of Bishalgarh block carefully before submitting to High Court, so that former Chief Secretary's name does not come in limelight. 

After reaching the information to former Chief Secretary, he arrived in Agartala on 13th January and reportedly, advised Manik Sarkar to remove S.K.Rakesh from RD Dept. Our sources also reported, suddenly from all corruption related files had stopped movement to table of Mr. Rakesh. The sources further reported, through RD Minister and most loyal member of Manik’s lobby Naresh Jamatia, Mr. Rakesh was instructed not to change the existing system of payment and work module of Rural Employment Guarantee Act (REGA) and not to get into the transparency mechanism in Electronic Fund Management system (EFMS) but he (S.K. Rakesh) refused to do it. Thus the RD minister’s unscrupulous interference in REGA raises many questions, which for obvious reasons have no answers, yet. Mr. Rakesh made it clear that as per guidelines he will work and no beyond the lines and unwarranted interferences in rural development activities he will entertain and in few cases, Mr. Rakesh turned down some pseudo advices of minister Naresh Jamatia.

Our sources report also stated that after resuming charge, Mr Rakesh, with the approval of present Chief Secretary (CS) G.K.Rao, used to be recognised as most honest and gentleman. CS G.K. Rao clearly told all Block Development Officers (BDOs) not to succumb to any political pressure, even at the highest level unless rules permit. “Mr. Rakesh also revealed former Chief Secretary’s misdeeds over massive corruption in RD fund and the way he prevented action against the corrupt officials. As punisment, Manik Sarkar relived S.K>Rakesh from Rural Development reportedly with the advice of corrupt former Chief Secretary”, said officials.    

The dictatorship in the third smallest state of India can even defeat the large rich states of India when the real executive head of the state (CM) takes personal interest to safeguard the illegal practices. Thanks to the communist ideology which the Manik Sarkar & Company is making an optimum use by robbing of money, trust and verdict of the people of Tripura.