After court case, whistleblower IFS Chaturvedi gets promotion

Whistleblower Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi has secured a Director -level promotion, nearly two months after he approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in this regard.

Named as one of the winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2015, Chaturvedi was also in the spotlight after being removed from the post of Chief Vigilance Officer last year at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) over what he claimed was his role in exposing alleged corruption at the premier institute.

The CVO acts as a distant arm of the Central Vigilance Commission.

"The Governor of Haryana is pleased to grant selection grade to Chaturvedi with effect from January 1, 2015," an order issued Friday by Haryana government said.

After the promotion, Chaturvedi's designation would change from Deputy Secretary to that of Director.

"It was my legitimate right. But it is unfortunate that to get it also I was compelled to move CAT. It was only after the court's notice that the promotion order was issued just two days before the hearing as the government had no reply," he told PTI.

Chaturvedi, a 2002-batch IFS officer, was to be promoted from January 1 this year. However, his promotion was withheld for allegedly exposing corruption at AIIMS and during his stint in Haryana.

He had submitted a number of representations but his case was not even considered in two Departmental Promotion Committee meetings held on January 27 and June 16, this year. Meantime, all his batchmates were promoted.

Chaturvedi, who is presently serving as Deputy Secretary in AIIMS, had approached CAT on June 29 claiming that his promotion has been kept pending due to his expose of corruption at AIIMS and his refusal to withdraw a case filed by him before Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe against certain bureaucrats and politicians in Haryana for their alleged involvement in corruption,.

The court had admitted his plea and notices were issued to the Centre and Haryana government on July 1. The hearing of the case was scheduled for today. However, on Friday his order was issued.

Chaturvedi's cadre was recently changed to Uttarakhand from Haryana.