Ex-health official's transfer regrettable: Amartya Sen

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen today described the Union government's decision to transfer former Union health secretary Keshav Desiraju as 'regrettable'.
"Whatever the reason, it is regrettable," Sen said when asked to react on the Union government's decision to transfer of Desiraju a few days ago.
"I don't know what led to the decision to move him to some other sector and I am not able to comment on the alternative hypothesis that is presented," Sen said.
He, however clarified that he was not saying that the government should go back on its decision.
"If there is lot of discussions among the public as to why this transfer was made, may be there will be satisfactory answers...I have not heard it (answers)," Sen said.

In a reshuffle ahead of the elections, Desiraju was transferred to the Consumer Affairs ministry.
When asked about it, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said, that such transfers were administrative matters.