Chandigarh: The transfer of Ajoy Sharma, Principal Secretary, Health Department, has once again created a stir in the administrative circles of Punjab. The impression about the AAP government has begun to emerge that officers who shy away from raising their voices are sidelined.
Meanwhile, Director General and Special Secretary of the Education Department Varinder Kumar Sharma was transferred on Sunday, although he was posted in the Education Department in the month of October itself.
Top officials of several other departments of the Punjab government are also upset with the new method of utilization of publicity funds. Sharma is the sixth officer with an honest image to be transferred.
He has not even been given a new posting by the government so far and is also keen to go on central deputation.
Meanwhile, there has been a buzz today that an inquiry has been ordered against the replaced Principal Secretary Ajoy Sharma.
There are allegations that he has allotted the tender of diagnostic machines to a firm close to him during his posting. It is learnt that such a decision was taken by the Punjab Cabinet itself.
Government officials are denying orders for any kind of inquiry. There has been a hue and cry over the transfer of Ajoy Sharma that the government wants Rs 30 crore sanctioned from health funds for the promotion of the Aam Aadmi Clinic.
According to sources, in fact, the officer, who is surrounded by a high-level investigation, had put a new plan in the ears of the government to remove the turban from his throat.
In fact, many departments have money reserved for publicity and the government wants the various departments to spend this money on their own responsibility for publicity so that at some stage the entire expenditure on publicity funds is not exposed. Ajoy Sharma refused to do so. About Rs 100 crore is reserved with the agriculture department as publicity funds.
It is believed that in this cycle, the Director General, Education Department, has been transferred. According to the publicity fund department, a meeting of some ministers was also held in the past regarding the expenditure and the secretaries of these departments had also refused to fall into this new mess. The top officials of the departments are willing to spend the Via Information and Public Relations Department instead of spending the publicity fund themselves.
It is learnt that on Friday, the chief secretary was sitting in his office till 9 pm. Ajoy Sharma has been transferred on the same day.
Ajoy Sharma had played the role of a key conspirator in exposing the commission case of Health Minister Vijay Singla of the AAP government and also exposed many wrongdoings during his posting in the sewerage department.