UPSC Scandal Intersects with Road-rage Incident Featuring Dilip Cherian and Khedkar
In a series of unexpected developments, the unpredictable nature of extension decisions by the Centre has caused concern among senior officers, affecting succession planning and state governments. This uncertainty was recently highlighted by the denial of extension requests for acting DGPs in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
However, the Centre has approved extensions for key officials such as K. Ramkrishna Rao of Telangana, Rajesh Kumar of Maharashtra, and the chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh. The reasons for these approvals and denials remain unclear, as the Centre has not provided a consistent policy or criteria.
This ambiguity has led to speculation and whispers that the Centre may be playing favourites, even when it may not be. The approvals and denials are not confined to opposition or BJP-ruled states, leading observers to describe the process as opaque.
Meanwhile, a former IAS candidate, Puja Khedkar, is embroiled in a new controversy. She was previously dismissed from the IAS due to charges of misrepresenting her identity, wrongly claiming OBC and disability-quota benefits, and abusing the number of exam attempts allowed. Currently, she is at the centre of a missing persons case involving a road-rage incident and a missing helper from a cement-mixer truck.
The missing helper was later rescued from a bungalow in Pune registered to "Puja Automobiles," a name connected to Ms Khedkar. An FIR for kidnapping has been filed, and investigations are ongoing, but the identity of the abductors remains unconfirmed.
The unpredictable nature of extension decisions can leave state governments "flat-footed." This was further exacerbated by the Centre's decision to approve the new Kartavya Bhavan-3, showcased as the crown jewel of the Central Vista project. However, the new complex is sparking discontent among the officials meant to occupy it.
Officers in the new complex have been packed into large open halls with token partitions, with even sensitive departments like the home ministry allotted undivided workspaces where private conversations and confidential files are exposed to prying ears. The Central Secretariat Service (CSS) Forum, representing over 13,000 officials, has written to the Prime Minister's Office and the ministry of housing and urban affairs alleging that office space allocations in the new complex fall short of the government's own 2017 guidelines.
Senior officers, such as chief secretaries and DGPs, play a crucial role in anchoring the state machinery. The Centre's handling of extension decisions and the new Kartavya Bhavan-3 is causing discontent among these officers and observers, as it goes against the system's pride in procedure and hierarchy.
Ms Khedkar's mother allegedly obstructed the police at the residence, refusing them entry. The owner of the bungalow in Pune where the suspect in the disappearance of Puja Khedkar was last mentioned is not publicly disclosed.
As the investigations into Puja Khedkar's case continue and the controversy over extension decisions persists, the Indian government faces questions about transparency and fairness in its decision-making processes.
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