Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has curtailed the powers and responsibilities of some IAS officers who have been “under-performing”, while also warning them to be ready to move out of the ministry if they are not able to give time-bound results.
This major change in bureaucratic responsibilities came after Naqvi was given independent charge of the ministry after the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
Following the changes, crucial departments and schemes have been taken away from Dinesh Singh Bisht, a 1987 Bihar batch IPS officer, who had joined the ministry in April 2015. The same have now been handed over to S.K. Dev Verman, a 1988 batch IAS officer who joined the ministry in April this year.
Commenting on the change in responsibilities of the officials that Naqvi did within 10 days of taking over, an official with the ministry said that Naqvi has been working as an MoS with the ministry ever since the NDA came to power in May 2014.
The official added that Naqvi is, hence, aware of the working habit of the officials.
“He is well aware of the departments that are not working efficiently and not able to produce the desired results. He has ‘tightened’ the working of the ministry ever since taking over from his predecessor Najma Heptullah. The officers who have been relieved of multiple departments and schemes were not able to perform well despite the fact that they had been working in the ministry for long. Strict instructions have been issued to officials that they have to show results within a fixed time and those who are not able to produce results will not be tolerated,” the official quoted earlier said.
Sources within the ministry said Bisht, who is Joint Secretary (Policy and Planning), has been divested of some of the most crucial schemes of the ministry including Seekho aur Kamao (for skill development in the minority communities), Nayi Manzil (scheme focusing on education and livelihood initiative for the minority communities), Nai Roshni (scheme for leadership development among minority women) and “MANAS” (Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills to impart training on skill development to youths).
These schemes will now be monitored by Verman, who is also a joint secretary in the ministry. Verman will also be handling general administration, establishment and vigilance related issues.
Similarly, Naqvi has also removed Bisht from the post of CMD National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) and replaced him with Shabaz Ali, who was the MD in the same organisation.
Rakesh Mohan, a 1987 batch IAS officer, who is also a joint secretary (IM and Waqf), will now be handling the strengthening of state waqf boards and measures and policy initiatives for protection of minorities and their security in consultation with other ministries and state governments.
Apart from the changes in the job profiles of these three joint secretaries, minor changes have also been carried out in the responsibilities of the under secretaries and deputy secretaries.