The controversial audio clip in which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is seen reprimanding State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar and other top bank officials will now be investigated. Sources say that the bank is considering filing an FIR over the leaked audio clip. The leak, the bank officials feel, was “mischievous” and an “unauthorised recording” and the incident should be properly investigated.
While the bank employees’ association criticised the FM’s statement, the ministry has sprung to her defence. Officials at the Finance Ministry said that the minister was justified in expressing legitimate concerns over the functioning of state and local SBI officials who did not resolve the issues faced by Assam’s tea garden workers. The audio clip was reportedly made during Sitharaman’s interaction with SBI officials at the Guwahati Financial Inclusion Conclave last month.
However, the clip appeared on social media almost a month later, leading many to suspect that the aim was to create a controversy. Any guesses why the Bank babus are triggering this now?
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Transfer confusion
The story behind Karnataka IPS officer Isha Pant’s two transfers within four days, which drew the nation’s attention, is likely a tale of a power struggle within the Bengaluru City Police.
Sources say that the confusion was triggered by the state government when it issued multiple transfer orders of IPS officers, including Isha Pant, who was DCP, South-East zone. Initially, she was asked to join the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as the Superintendent of Police (SP), but three days later, another order was issued by the BJP-ruled state government, whereby the earlier order was revoked, and she was reinstated in her earlier post.
However, hours later, in a fresh order, Pant was posted as DCP, Command Centre, located at the City Police Commissioner’s office. She replaced Jinendra Khanagavi, who is now posted at the Internal Security Division as an SP. She was replaced by 2015 batch IPS officer Srinath Mahadev Joshi, who will now helm affairs at the Bengaluru South-East division. His previous role was as the Superintendent of Police in Chitradurga.
According to sources, it is widely believed that Pant’s second transfer was allegedly initiated at a BJP minister’s insistence.
Boost for appraisal system
The 360-degree evaluation system initiated by the Modi sarkar as a necessary administrative reform has got a boost after the Delhi High Court refused to strike it down after a senior bureaucrat had filed a petition seeking its review.
The appraisal system was introduced in 2015 and it made vetting of senior bureaucrats much more stringent. However, a section of babus had criticised it for being opaque and non-transparent, unlike the annual confidential reports (ACRs) system that it replaced.
According to sources, the senior babu who challenged the appraisal system, in his review petition, had mentioned that he was overlooked for empanelment thrice and had sought a copy of his appraisal report.
The 360-degree appraisal system, also known as Multi-Source Feedback Guidelines (MSF), has now got the backing of the high court. The court has accepted the government’s position that “MSF guidelines were not meant to be placed in the public domain. They were to serve as internal guidelines for the Committee of Secretaries/Empanelment Committee when it decided to empanel additional secretaries”.
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