The trigger: Unknown to most, the specific trigger that launchedan all-out no holds barred confrontation between the Parrikar government andthe centre over the posting and appointment of AGMUT cadre IAS and IPSofficers, was first pulled by an Under Secretary in the Home department, whowrote to DIG Ravindra Yadav asking him to move out of Goa.
In letter but not inspirit: Here are the contents of theletter, whose tone is baffling. It has the flaws too which we will go intolater. The letter signed by Under Secretary Home (GOI) to DIG Ravindra Yadavmentioned “You stand relieved with immediate effect. You do not need anypermission from the state government to be relieved. Relinquish chargeimmediately failing which disciplinary proceedings will be started againstyou”.
One of the senior most cadreofficials of Goa, privy to this letter said “The tone was uncalled for, asif provoking a confrontation with the state government. And that’s whathappened”.
Tragic flaw: But the centre’s flaw goes beyond the semantics ofsuch a letter. Goa is a state that is a part of the central joint cadre, whichit shares with Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and the Union territories called theAGMUT cadre .The letter to Yadav was written by a home ministry official, whenit is the joint cadre Control Authority (JCCA) which should have writtenthrough the Chief Secretary of Goa, who is a member of the JCCA. The ChiefSecretary was bypassed.
Poor substitution: To top it all, the centre posted LV Prasad, with apoor track record certified by other officers, who have worked with him inother places like Lakshwadeep.
Parrikar punch: The Chief Minister, in an outburstuncharacteristic in polite official correspondence, wrote to the then HomeMinister P Chidambaram. He called the home ministry “autocratic” and accused itof “running the cadre as a fiefdom.” The letter stated that “the centre wasfunctioning like a monolith that needs to be tamed”. Parrikar also said thatall powers of postings and recruitment were with the state government.
Pained sarcasm: The then Home Minister P Chidambarams reply wassarcastic. He said that he was “pained” to read his letter but understood that“you (the Chief Minister) were under stress of managing a complex state likeGoa”
The sarcasm didn’t hold.Shortly after this the government of India sent a shortlist of three names tobe appointed Chief Secretary. They were DM Sopolia (79 batch), L Tochong (79batch) and GS Patnaik (80 batch). The Chief Minister rejected all three andappointed B Vijayan, already posted here as Chief Secretary. The Goan is privyto an internal note prepared on this subject. The note (paraphrased) to beissued by the Chief minister says, “I have gone through the bio data of allthree. While they are competent officers, they will need time to know thestate. The government therefore wishes to appoint someone who will beable to meet the challenges of a new government. Hence B Vijayan is appointedas Chief Secretary”
The significance of this notecannot be missed. This is perhaps for the first time in India’s history that a ChiefMinister rejected all names for the Chief Secretary's position and appointedsomeone from within the state without seeking any approvals. Speaking to The Goan,Manohar Parrikar said “I cannot be anyone’s slave. The Congress government mayhave wanted to be, due to their inefficiency and laziness. The state has allthe powers. It needs to exercise them”
The truth lies somewhere inbetween though material evidence suggests that it lies closer to Parrikar’s endthan the centre’s. In some ways tiny Goa has stood up but it shouldprepare for a prolonged face off with Delhi in the Parrikar era.
