DoPT created 'work-friendly' conditions for officers: Jitendra Singh

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said that the DoPT has always tried to create conditions which are more work friendly for the officers.

His reaction came after Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer D.K. Ravi, who took on the sand mafia in Karnataka's Kolar District, was found dead at his residence in Bengaluru today.

"I don't carry the brief about the case as such. Maybe the state government will be having all the details, but as far as we the DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) is concerned, I have no hesitations in saying that in last few months we have travelled an extra mile to try to create conditions which are more work friendly for our officers; we have tried to make it more comfortable, particularly when the demand the demand of work on them has increased," Singh said.

Singh said the department has always tried to assure that they (officers) are able to put up a performance to the best of their potential without suffering from any kind of intimidation or harassment.

"Each day we are devising new methods, whether it is by the way of their payment scales or even by the way of their recreation or allowing them periodic LTC leave. I think, the present government has always held this belief that to ensure what we describe as 'Maximum Governance Minimum Government'," he added.

Preliminary investigations suggest that D.K. Ravi allegedly committed suicide at his official residence in Bengaluru's Koramangala area.

An officer of 2009 batch, the 36-year-old officer was an Additional Commissioner on deputation with the Commercial Tax department.

"Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan," Police Commissioner M N Reddi told reporters.

He added that it was Ravi's wife who found him hanging tied to a piece of cloth in their apartment.

Police said the officer's body was discovered around lunch time in the flat.

Police said they are likely to analyze Ravi's mobile records, entry records of his apartment's reception, and CCTV cameras fitted in the vicinity.

State Home Minister K J George, Energy Minister D K Shiv Kumar, Congress lawmaker from Kolar District K R Ramesh Kumar and a dozen senior tax officials paid condolence visits on the Ravi family on hearing about his death.

Home Minister George said that all angles will be looked into to determine what caused Ravi's death. He also described the death as a great loss to the state of Karnataka.

Meanwhile, the locals of Kolar district of Karnataka called for a shutdown in sympathy with the officer who was held in high respect for his performance in this district.