The government on Saturday issued orders giving Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary (Health), the full additional charge of Principal Secretary, Industries (Mining and Geology & Plantation) and Ayush departments.
This is Mr. Hanish’s third posting in less than two weeks. It was on May 7 that Mr. Hanish, then the Industries Secretary, was made the Revenue Secretary. The very next day, he was moved out of the Revenue department and posted as Principal Secretary (Health) and the incumbent, Tinku Biswal, was appointed as the Revenue Secretary.
Opposition allegation
As the Industries Secretary, Mr. Hanish had been in charge of the inquiry ordered by the government into a project of Keltron, which involved the use of artificial intelligence-powered cameras for traffic surveillance. The Opposition had alleged major corruption in the project, producing documents of Keltron ‘awarding sub-contracts in a manner that was not transparent.’
On Friday, Industries Minister P. Rajeeve had released the inquiry report submitted by Mr. Hanish, in which he had fully defended the AI camera deal. Mr. Hanish had given a clean chit to Keltron, stressing that its tender process was transparent, and that the sub-contract was awarded following all norms.
The sudden return of Mr. Hanish to the Industries department has now triggered a controversy with senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleging that handing back Industries department’s charge was the government’s reward to Mr. Hanish for letting Keltron off the hook in the AI camera deal.
At a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Chennithala alleged that Mr. Hanish was shifted out of the Industries department because he had come to the conclusion that the Keltron deal was mired in corruption. He alleged that the Industries department’s charge was given back to Mr. Hanish after he produced a report in three weeks whitewashing Keltron, as desired by the government.
‘Doctoring report’
Mr. Chennithala said that the Industries Minister had said initially that Mr. Hanish would submit the inquiry report within a week. Moving Mr. Hanish out of the Industries department, the government had forced his hand to doctor a report justifying one of the biggest corrupt deals inked in the State. He added that a senior IAS official should not have succumbed to Government’s pressure to defend a corrupt deal.
He termed Mr. Hanish’s report on AI camera deal wishy-washy, not fixing the blame on anyone, while fully defending Keltron’s role.
