Amid Covid, J&K’s bureaucracy battling its own crisis IAS officer goes on leave against ‘abusive language’ by his senior

JAMMU: Amidst the ongoing battle against Covid-19 pandemic, the bureaucracy in Jammu and Kashmir seems to be plunging into a crisis of its own. In a fresh instance, a senior IAS officer has gone on leave protesting the alleged use of abusive language against him by one of his superiors in the administration, triggering anger in the bureaucratic circle, The News Now has reliably learnt.
The development comes days after the union territory administration asked the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to take action against an IAS officer, first in a long time, even as people familiar with developments termed those as “differences between two separate lobbies among UT’s bureaucracy, coming out in public”.
The rift came out in open for the second time in a week, when an IAS officer of the Commissioner Secretary-level, entrusted with the job of reviving the economy fueled by industries sector, proceeded on leave, allegedly in his protest against humiliation meted out to him by one of his superiors.
The development was confirmed by government order issued on Thursday, which granted ten days ‘earned leave’ in favour of Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, an IAS officer of 1997 batch.
“Sanction is hereby accorded to the grant of ten days earned leave w.e.f. 12.06.2020 to 21.06.2020 in favour of Mr.Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, IAS, Commissioner/ Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department holding additional charge of the post of Managing Director, J&K Trade Promotion Organization,” said the official order numbered 642- JK (GAD) of 2020, dated 11 June.
The order issued on the directions of Lieutenant Government G C Murmu, noted that during the leave period, Pawan Kotwal, Principal Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department would hold the charge of the posts entrusted to Dwivedi.
Official sources informed that a senior officer called Dwivedi by phone on June 5, and allegedly used abusive and intimidating words against him over some issues related to a report on a government scheme, following which Dwivedi applied for leave.
In his application of leave, Dwivedi said he was shocked by the abuses hurled by the senior officer, the sources said, adding that his leave application was first rejected before he wrote back seeking sanctioning the leave before he could move to higher office.
The sources indicated that if the issue is not resolved in next one week, Dwivedi might seek to extend his leave further.
“This was bound to happen. The differences between two separate lobbies created among UT’s bureaucracy, are now coming out in public,” said a top official familiar with the development.
“There is tug of war going on between the top officers of Jammu and Kashmir, who are divided in two groups now and the things are going to get even worse if the differences are not sorted out immediately,” another credible sources informed The News Now.
“Take a look at the meetings convened by top officers in past two weeks and you will get a hint of how thing are placed,” he said, when asked for more details.
Thursday’s development follows a letter written on Monday by Jammu and Kashmir administration to the Department of Personnel and Training asking it to take action against an IAS officer who allegedly tried to prevent the Amarnath Shrine Board officials from undertaking "pratham pooja" (first prayer) for Amarnath yatra.
This step was taken after the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) officials made a complaint to the office of Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu that an IAS officer tried to prevent them from undertaking "pratham pooja" for Amarnath yatra.