New Delhi (PTI): Whistleblower Indian Forest Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi has been shifted to Uttarakhand cadre from Haryana, nearly three years after he requested for the transfer claiming that he was facing “extreme hardship” for exposing corruption.
Chaturvedi was recently named as one of the winners of Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2015 and was also in spotlight after being removed from the post of Chief Vigilance Officer, who act as distant arm of Central Vigilance Commission, last year at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for allegedly exposing corruption in the premier institute.
He was given relief in May by Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on his plea against the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) order to get fresh no-objection certificate for his cadre change from both Haryana and Uttarakhand governments.
An order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said that the ACC has approved the proposal of inter cadre transfer of Chaturvedi, a 2002 batch Indian Forest Service officer, from Haryana to Uttarakhand.
Chaturvedi, who was posted at AIIMS as Deputy Secretary, claimed he was not assigned any work. “I am very thankful to the CAT. It would have been better if the government would have done this on its own and without my going to the Tribunal,” he told PTI.
Chaturvedi had in October, 2012 applied for cadre change on grounds of extreme hardship. As per rules, cadre transfer is allowed only on grounds of extreme hardship and marriage.
He had cited 12 transfers in five years, suspension, two major penalty chargesheets issued for removal from service, false police and vigilance cases, spoiling of Annual Confidential Report (ACR) and refusal of state government for central deputation in AIIMS as instances of extreme hardship.
Both Haryana and Uttarakhand governments had last year given no-objection certificate for his cadre change. Following which, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had sent the proposal to the ACC.
However, in January this year, the ACC returned the case to the MoEFCC, ordering it to get fresh NoC from both the state Governments and re-submit the proposal.
Chaturvedi had then approached the CAT which stayed the ACC order and issued notices to the Centre. While hearing the case in May this year, the CAT quashed the ACC order of seeking fresh NOC and gave two-month time from receiving its order to decide the case.
The officer had on last Monday sought contempt proceedings against the Centre for not following the CAT directive. The DoPT on Wednesday issued his order for his cadre change.
Chaturvedi was selected for Ramon Magsaysay Award under the ‘Emergent Leadership’ category for his “exemplary integrity, courage and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly exposing corruption in public office”.