“You Go From Here”: Rajasthan Minister Slams Collector At Event Over Phone

Jaipur:

Addressing an event on Monday, Rajasthan minister Ramesh Meena publicly reprimanded the Bikaner district collector, saying the officer was busy with his phone instead of focusing on important issues.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Meena was addressing women in a program at Ravindra Theatre, while Collector Bhagwati Prasad Kalal and others were sitting on the stage.

During his address, the minister’s eyes fell on the collector who was seen busy in his mobile phone. Mr. Meena objected to this and asked why the officers were not listening to him.

“Why are you not listening? Are the bureaucrats in the state so overpowered that they are not listening?” He asked the collector.

The collector got up from the sofa without saying anything. At the same time the minister said, “You go from here.” However, after some time the officials returned to the program.

A video of this incident surfaced on social media.

The collector did not respond to calls seeking his reaction.

Later in the day, a delegation of the Rajasthan IAS Officers Association met Chief Secretary Usha Sharma and submitted a memorandum against the minister’s conduct and demanded appropriate action.

The event at Bikaner was organized to interact with the women and review the implementation of various schemes and programs executed by the department.

When contacted, the minister told PTI that the collector was constantly busy with his phone and did not listen to the issues raised by Meena during his address.

The minister said, “The women had said some things about schemes like MNREGA and I told it to the collector, but he did not listen and was busy looking at his phone. He was also talking on the phone again and again. “

“A minister is telling the collector something important and the collector is busy with his phone…this is carelessness. What message does this send to the public?” How will the public and their grievances be resolved,” he said.

The minister said he would take up the matter with the chief minister and demand action against the officer.

He claimed that in another review meeting held at the Zilla Parishad level, the collector behaved in a similar manner.

In Jaipur, a delegation of Rajasthan IAS officers led by Vice President Kunjilal Meena and Secretary Samit Sharma met Chief Secretary Usha Sharma at her office and said such incidents cannot be tolerated.

Secretary Samit Sharma has said in a letter to the CS that the Bikaner incident is unwanted and derogatory. He said that the same minister had made objectionable remarks to the Alwar collector some time back.

Sources said the CS assured him to speak to the Chief Minister in the matter.

Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore hit out at the state government over the incident.

The BJP leader said that there was infighting in the ruling party, but now due to the attitude of the ministers, infighting has started with the bureaucrats as well.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)