This refers to A K Bhattacharya's column "The IAS strikes back" (Raisina Hill, March 24). Rather than saying that the "the IAS strikes back", I would say a more appropriate title would be "the IAS gangs up". The writer says it is heartening to see civil servants asserting their basic rights but the truth is they have always done that. There's no instance when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did not hear them or look into their grievances. On the other hand, senior IAS officers get more protection than they deserve. Let's not forget that the CBI has initiated vigilance cases against three Cabinet secretaries.
As far as C B Bhave's case is concerned, when a scam regarding a payment crisis has been discovered, and the CBI has to enquire about it, how do they stop only at the IAS level and catch the others? The so-called character certificates for some officers come from politicians because they have never violated the wishes of the existing government. When E A S Sarma had to leave the post of secretary economic affairs, no such character certificate came. We should not separate the IAS officers from others even with a glassine paper. They are made of the same staff.
Sukumar Mukhopadhyay, New Delhi
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