Mangaluru: In a surprise move, Sasikanth Senthil Senior IAS officer and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Dakshina Kannada District announced his resignation on Friday, to his post in the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) citing personal reasons.
"I have taken this decision as I feel that it is unethical for me to continue as a civil servant in the government when the fundamental building blocks of our diverse democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner. I also feel strongly that the coming days will present extremely difficult challenges to the basic fabric of our nation" Senthil has stated in his Resignation letter.
Speaking exclusively to Vartha Bharati over telephone, Senthil explained the reasons behind his decision and also spoke about his future plans.
Excerpts:
What is the reason behind this sudden and surprising move?
As I have clearly stated in my Resignation letter, I have rendered my my resignation due to personal reasons. It is in no way connected to any person or any particular event in my current profile as the Deputy Commissioner of the Dakshina Kannada District.
In your letter, you have said, "the fundamental building blocks of our diverse democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner". Will you Please elaborate?
As a citizen of this Country I have my own concepts and perceptions about the Country and the society. That is my observation as a citizen of this country. Today, I feel all these perceptions of mine are being questioned. My conscience does not permit me to work under such circumstances.
A lot of people feel that the State needs the services of officers of your kind.
There are many other good officers in the State. If I resign and go, other good officers will come here and will serve the people.
Do you think it is right for an officer like you to take such a sudden decision?
When the very foundations of the country are shaking how do you expect any officer to function smoothly? Today the very idea of
our country is under threat. This has nothing to do about the Dakshina Kannada District or our State. I have absolutely no problem with people of this District or about the State Politics. I have received very good support here.
Do you plan to enter politics now?
I don’t have any such plans at the moment. I am yet to determine a future role for myself. However, please rest assured that I intend to remain active in public life. Very soon, I will address the media about it.
READ ALSO: Dakshina Kannada DC Sasikanth Senthil resigns from IAS
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Bhopal (PTI): On the first day of the commercial run of the Metro services in Bhopal on Sunday, hundreds of residents enthusiastically took rides, expressing confidence that it will save time and provide relief from traffic jams.
An official said that the Metro’s first service began at 9 am from the AIIMS station, and by 6 pm, 5,731 people had travelled on the new mass-transit corridor.
He said that people, along with their family members, had been lining up for tickets since early morning. Several users were seen taking selfies and photos inside the Metro rakes and at stations.
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Earlier on Saturday, Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the Metro service by flagging off a train from Subhash Nagar station on a 7.5-kilometre stretch, called the “Priority Corridor”.
With this, Bhopal became the 26th city in the country and the second city in Madhya Pradesh, after Indore, to have the Metro service.
Rao Singh, who took a Metro ride, told PTI Videos that besides saving time and money, the new mode of transport will provide relief from traffic jams and pollution.
Another passenger, who identified himself as Chetan, said he was happy that Bhopal is now on the “Metro list”.
Office-goers will benefit a lot due to the Metro service, said a young man named Akshay.
While the estimated cost of the 30.8-km-long Bhopal Metro project is Rs 10,033 crore, a sum of Rs 2,225 crore was spent on the ‘Priority Corridor’, according to officials.
