IAS officer row: Congress urges President Murmu not to accept resignation
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday urged President Droupadi Murmu not to accept the "technical resignation" of IAS officer Rinkoo Singh Rahee and demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government be directed to provide work to the officer who has sought return to his parent Provincial Civil Services, citing prolonged lack of work.
Congress SC Department chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam said that even today, when a Dalit youth works hard to become an IAS-PCS officer, he or she has to face harassment.
"The situation becomes such that the officers are forced to resign from their job. One such officer is Rinkoo Singh Rahee Ji. When Rinkoo Singh Ji was a PCS officer, he exposed a scam in which crores of rupees had been embezzled. At that time, a murderous attack was carried out on him, and he was shot," Gautam said at a press conference.
"Look at the spirit of national service: Rinkoo Ji recovered and returned, becoming an IAS officer, but he continued to be punished for his honesty and kept being transferred repeatedly. Now the situation is that for the past eight months, he hasn't been assigned any work at all; no important or key position has been given to him. In such a situation, Rinkoo Ji refused to accept his salary and submitted a technical resignation," he said.
Is there no need for such honest officers in the country, the Congress leader asked.
"Will any officer be punished for being a Dalit?" he said.
"I demand from the Honourable President of the country that the technical resignation of IAS Rinkoo Singh Rahee Ji should not be accepted. At the same time, the UP government should be directed to provide work to him," Gautam said.
Rahee, currently attached to the Board of Revenue in Lucknow, has written to the President requesting repatriation to PCS, stating that he has remained without any defined responsibilities for around eight months.
When asked about his step, Rahee told PTI that his move should not be construed as an attempt to exit public service, emphasising that it was a procedural step.
"I am not talking about quitting the system. It is a technical resignation only. I consider the constitutional system to be good; if there are some shortcomings, they can be amended," he said.
Rahee also dismissed suggestions of personal distress or harassment, stating, "I have no personal issues. I am not personally harassed, not in depression, I have already faced the worst."
In his letter to the President dated March 26, Rahee has sought permission to tender a technical resignation from the IAS, citing moral dilemma over continuing in service without substantive responsibilities while drawing salary and benefits.
He stated that his adherence to constitutional values and an accountability-driven work approach had led to a sense of "unsuitability" within the prevailing administrative system.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
