IAS officers seek CM's help against CBI probe
A group of over 50 IAS officers of the Andhra Pradesh cadre met chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at his camp office on Friday and brought to his notice that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) “is targeting only bureaucrats” in connection with the ongoing investigation in various cases.
The growing unease among the senior bureaucrats in the state government has peaked after a couple of more IAS officers have been figured in the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the Emaar township project case on Wednesday.
The Friday’s meeting with the chief minister has been followed by a series of consultations being held among the senior bureaucrats led by the office bearers of the state IAS Officers Association for the past few days.
They came out openly against the CBI as more number of officers are coming under the scanner as the probe into various cases picked up pace.
The officers are apparently taking serious exception over the CBI officials for “holding state bureaucracy solely responsible for the controversial decisions taken at the government level while leaving the political masters untouched.”
These are supposed to be the "high stake" decisions taken at the highest level in the government, apart from being implemented with the full knowledge of the authorities above the bureaucratic machinery. However, the CBI is targeting the officers as if they are responsible for whatever decisions taken in the government, said Raymond Peter, secretary of the IAS Officers Association, after meeting the chief minister.
“We only informed the chief minister about the way the officers are being dealt with by the CBI. He was sympathetic with our feelings and assured us of his support,” Peter told the reporters.
The officers also told the chief minister that their colleagues have been subjected to harassment by frequently calling for questioning by the CBI and this needs to be looked into.
Responding to a question on the complicity of officers in the alleged irregularities, he said it would not happen in isolation.
The CBI in Andhra Pradesh is currently conducting investigation in three high-profile cases namely illegal iron ore mining case involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, alleged quid-pro-quo investments into the companies floated by Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Emaar township project.
The investigation is also directed at the role of higher officials in the alleged irregularities in all these cases. The CBI has already arrested two IAS officers and named two more as accused in these cases. It is currently questioning a host of other senior bureaucrats including Ajay Mishra, principal secretary(Political) of general administration department and state election commissioner N Ramakanth Reddy among others.