Amidst protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, half-a-dozen Assam Civil Service (ACS) officials were reportedly “transferred” for social media posts and comments.
Binita Pegu, Secretary, Personnel (A) Department, on December 19, issued the transfer orders through Memo no. AAA.15/2017/18-J.
The officials who were transferred included:
Upala Saikia, additional secretary, Industries and Commerce,
Bhaskar Phukan, managing director of Assam Tourism Development Corporation,
Debajit Khanikar, joint secretary, Social Welfare Department,
Lachit Kumar Das, additional deputy commissioner, Kamrup (Metro)
Ankur Bharali, additional deputy commissioner, Dhemaji
Anuja Bhuyan, deputy secretary of WPT and BC.
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While all the officers are tight-lipped, and some described the transfers as “routine”, members of Assam’s bureaucratic circle are not euphoric with the government’s vindictive attitude.
Despite repeated attempts, Binita Pegu, secretary, Personnel (A) Department was not available for comments.
Sources in the bureaucratic circle told Northeast Now on Monday that one of the officials has been transferred after she had posted photos of her daughters participating in anti-CAA protests on the social media.
One of the officials had posted on the social media on a peace protests staged by a group of students in Guwahati.
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Another official drew attention of the government for Jai Aai Axom (Hail Mother Assam) comment on the social media.
Similarly, one of them landed in problem for a casual comment — “Ratnakaar verses Kanchanjungha”.
Though the ACS officials are tight-lipped over the sudden “transfers”, family members and close friends have now started to discuss about the issue.
Bondita Borah, a computer science teacher of Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya, Titabar was terminated from service on December 24 for support to anti-CAA protests.
Later, under pressure of common people, including intellectuals, the JNV management had to reinstate her.
Source said principal of the JNV School was pressurized by the Titabar units of AASU and the AJYCP, and was forced to write to the deputy commissioner to reconsider her termination.