Row over Durga Sakthi intensifies between UP govt, Centre

Confrontation between the Centre and UP government over Durga Sakthi Nagpal intenfied with SP today threatening to seek withdrawal of all IAS officers from the state after the Union government suggested that it could step in if the suspended official writes to it directly.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, 'We are in touch with the state government to find out the full details of the issue.'

He told reporters in Parliament complex that the laid down rules to deal with such cases will be followed.

Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy said that under the rules, the officer who has been suspended has the right to appeal.

'She has not approached us so far. But if she sends her appeal to us, we will send its copy to the state government and seek its response. Then, we will decide the future course of action. Normally, an officer approaches the state government... We cannot act suo motu,' he said.

Reacting sharply, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said, 'Uttar Pradesh would say that we do not want any IAS officer. Let the Centre withdraw all these officers from the state and it would run the state with its own officers.'

The Centre had yesterday asked the UP government to immediately give a report on the suspension of Nagpal, a 2010 batch IAS officer who had cracked down on sand mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar area (Noida).

Narayanasamy had said yesterday this was the third such letter sent to the state government so far after 28-year-old Nagpal was suspended on July 27.

The Centre's fresh reminder came in the backdrop of Sonia Gandhi, who is Chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC), writing a letter to the Prime Minister, saying that Nagpal should not be 'unfairly treated'.

'We must ensure that the officer is not unfairly treated,' Gandhi had said in her letter to Singh, who holds the charge of Personnel Ministry.

The UP government had yesterday served a charge sheet to the IAS officer.