The finance secretary Kavita Gupta has been divested of her main charge by secretary Subodh Kumar, HOD, thereby triggering a cold war within the department.
Many women IAS officers have complained to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his deputy against their male colleagues who insist that every file be routed through them
The finance secretary Kavita Gupta has been divested of her main charge — Accounts and Treasury (Finance Ministry) — by secretary Subodh Kumar, head of the department, thereby triggering a cold war within the department. Now, Gupta has been left with only one subject — Outcome budget, and her portfolio has been awarded to another secretary Sunil Soni. The inter-departmental dispute has been reported to state finance minister Jayant Patil, who himself was unaware of the latest change effected in his ministry.
A close aide of Patil said, “The minister has admitted not being aware of the change. He has also assured to look into the matter by recalling all the official decisions within the ministry.”
Confirming the change in her portfolio, Gupta said, “Yes, the order regarding the same is out. I was designated secretary Accounts and Treasury for the past two-and-a-half years, but the new order suggests I should be holding only the Outcome Budget (Ministry Finance).”
According to Subodh Kumar, “Changes in the finance department are of a routine nature.” He even indicated that former secretary O P Gehrotra, who headed the finance department, too had effected several changes.
Highly-placed sources in the General Administration Department (GAD) said, “Whenever changes related to portfolios of the IAS officers take place, the chief minister is consulted. In Gupta’s case, even if it does not relate to transfer, Subodh Kumar should have consulted and informed the finance minister.”
Interestingly, Gupta is not a case in isolation. Majority of the women IAS officers have complained to ministers including chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and deputy chief minister (also Home Minister) R R Patil against the male colleagues who insist every file should be routed through them before it is sent for minister’s consent. The argument by women officers is, “ In many cases they handle the department independently and should be allowed to report to their department minister directly.”
Another woman IAS officer bound by service rules and seeking anonymity said, “We have been fighting for significant role in the policy making of the government. Often some of us have to silently bear the highhandedness by our male colleagues sharing the same rank and designation. We had in the past taken up the issue with former chief secretary Prem Kumar as well as present chief secretary D K Shankaran.”
Sources in Mantralaya also cited several instances of IAS officials at war within the same department thus forcing the concerned minter to intervene in the matter.
Recently, the health minister Vimal Munda was seen complaining against the slow file movement in her department because of differences between two senior officers —- secretary health Vijay Satbir Singh and secretary Women and Family Welfare Anna Dani. In the recent reshuffle Singh has been moved as secretary Women and Child Welfare and Dani as secretary Prisons and Appeals (Home Ministry).
According to insiders there were instances of several woman IAS officers including Vandana Krishna, Chandra Iyengar who felt they deserve better say in the government and inter department matters. In a step to address the issue Iyengar was recently made Health secretary.
Krishna who was incharge of women and child welfare has gone on leave officially stating she has to attend to her children undertaking board examination. But insiders in the department suggested she has upset ever since a cabinet minister humiliated her at an official meeting in front of her junior officers.
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