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UP babus split, Neera Yadav ‘removed’

LUCKNOW: With the split in the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association wide open following Wednesday night’s decision by an “action group” of “babus”, the bureaucracy has gone for a toss in the country’s largest State.

At a hastily convened meeting held at the Civil Services Institute here, a “group” of senior IAS officers “removed” the Association president, Neera Yadav, and general secretary, Sanjay Bhoosreddy. They were replaced by the Chairman of the UP Board of Revenue, Vijay K. Malhotra, and Lucknow District Magistrate Chandra Bhanu as president and general secretary, respectively.

Nearly 20 officers out of the cadre strength of over 500 were present at the meeting. The “coup” was executed by the “group” mobilised by an officer holding a key position in the Government with alleged support of some senior officials of Chief Minister Mayawati’s secretariat.

The presence of the bureaucrats positioned on the Fifth Floor (Chief Minister’s secretariat) of Lal Bahadur Shastri Annexe Bhawan at the meeting has allegedly divided the bureaucracy into “pro-Establishment” and “anti-Establishment” camps.

Incidentally, Ms. Yadav had been holidaying at Puri in Orissa and was expected to return to Lucknow on Thursday night.

The “action group” reportedly used the alibi of the executive committee meeting which was scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, to execute their move. The meeting was called by Mr. Bhoosreddy in his capacity as the Association’s general secretary on March 21, but was cancelled on March 25 as Ms. Yadav would be unavailable. Individual letters were reportedly mailed to the members during the night of March 25 informing them about the cancellation.

Some senior bureaucrats described the move as unprecedented and said on condition of anonymity that the decision to remove the IAS Association president and general secretary is taken at the Annual General Meeting. While the senior-most bureaucrat in the State, with the possible exception of the Chief Secretary, is made the Association president, the general secretary is elected by the Association members. This is Mr. Bhoosreddy’s fourth term as the Association general secretary. Ms. Yadav assumed the mantle of the Association president after the death of the previous incumbent, Brijendra, a couple of months ago.

Indications of a crisis in the Association emerged in February when the annual IAS Week, which was scheduled to be held that month, was postponed.

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