Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Nov 6: The high court, which took the state government to task with regards to the transfer of government officials, has expressed its anguish and said that the transfers have become a big business. It seems from the callousness of the transfers that the officials and ministers have kept the posts for sale.

The divisional bench of justice H G Ramesh and justice Ashok G Nijaganna, which conducted the inquiry of an application concerning the transfers of zonal forest officers expressed its outrage at the government with regards to its transfer policy and process. It also said that the governor has to take comprehensive information of the transfer business and send the same to the President. The bench also expressed a verbal opinion that the President of India might take action against the state government.

During the inquiry of the application, the lawyer for the applicant said to the court that, "Applicant Eeranna is a zonal forest officer of Yadagiri. Someone else is deputed to his place. However, Eeranna has not been allotted a new place."

Justice H G Ramesh, who got furious by the explanation given by the lawyer for the applicant said, "There is no one to question the government. Lackluster transfers which are against the law have become a feast for the concerned ministers. The high court is tired of giving repeated warnings to the government with regards to the transfers. However, it is not possible for the court to tolerate this anymore. The governor will be requested to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the rules of transfers. The President of India has to be appraised of the necessity to take action against the state government based on the information sent by the governor."

The divisional bench which conducted the inquiry, ordered to send notices to the chief secretary of the forest department, who is the defendant in the application and Basavaraj S Dange, zonal forest officer of Humnabad, who is transferred to the place of Eeranna, the applicant and postponed the inquiry.