Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri has been transferred just weeks before Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations in the district.
Sindhuri was overseeing arrangements for the upcoming celebrations at Shravanabelegola and the news of her transfer elicited a strong reaction from leaders of BJP and JD(S). She had taken over as DC of Hassan in July 2017 and becomes the latest civil officer to be transferred in less than a year’s time of duty in the state.
The Mahamastakabhisheka is an important Jain festival held once in twelve years at Shravanabelegola in Hassan district. It is set to take place from February 17-21. The BJP has alleged that the transfer has happened due to disagreements between the officer and the Chief Minister's office over the festival.
BJP State President, BS Yeddyurappa, called the transfer unceremonious and said that there was no place for honest offers in the Siddaramaiah government.
Having been instrumental in making arrangements for Mahasmastakabhisheka event in Shravanabelagola, transfer of Hassan DC Rohini Sindhuri is unceremonious. No place for honest & upright officers in @siddaramaiah govt? pic.twitter.com/CWgrPdAWdt
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) January 23, 2018
JD(S) party's National President H D Deve Gowda also expressed his disappointment over the transfer of Sindhuri and described her as an ‘honest officer’. "It has been no more than six months since her taking charge as Hassan DC. The government had done the same to the previous DC as well. The Mahamastakabhisheka arrangements are going on. Sindhuri did not allow dishonest politicians to make money. So she was transferred. Do these people need to make a percentage out of a pious occasion such as this too?" Gowda said speaking to Deccan Herald.
BJP leader Malavika Avinash also criticised the decision to transfer Sindhuri. “The move is clearly ahead of the Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations involving State expenditure to the tune of several crores in Shravanabelagola which is in Hassan District. This being election season, The district incharge minister has been seemingly inconvenienced by this honest officer’s uprightness. She joins a long list of lady officers who have paid the price for their honesty in Siddaramaiah’s corruption-ridden tenure...D.Roopa, C. Shikha, V Rashmi, Anupama Shenoy, Sonia Narang,” she told TNM.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Election Commission has written to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka to cancel any transfers before the end of February, when electoral rolls will be revised.
Sindhuri was among seven IAS officers shuffled overnight, a list which included M.V. Jayanthi, V Chaitra, SB Shettannavar, MV Venkatesh, K Rajendra and B.R Mamatha.
The transfer of the Hassan DC comes just days after Dakshina Kannada SP Sudheer Kumar Reddy was transferred just six months into his term.
Reddy’s predecessor Bhushan Gulabrao Borase was also shunted out within six months of his appointment after a public tiff with the minister.
Several other officials including Roopa D, C Shikha, Anupama Shenoy have been transferred after disagreements with ministers.