With two officials hell bent on officiating as Assistant Director of the Social Welfare Department in Yadgir taluk, citizens approaching the office for their work are in a quandary over whom to approach.
Sangappa Pujari and D. Rajkumar are the two officials who are now sitting in the same office claiming to be Assistant Directors of the department.
Sangappa Pujari earlier served as Assistant Director of Social Welfare Department before D. Rajkumar, manager in the Urban and Rural Planning Department at the Additional Director’s Zonal Office in Dharwad, was transferred to the post on August 11, 2023.
Mr. Pujari had had challenged the transfer order of Mr. Rajkumar to the post before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal in Kalaburagi. However, the tribunal dismissed his petition after initially staying the transfer order.
After the dismissal of the petition by the tribunal, Mr. Rajkumar assumed office as Assistant Director on October 16, 2023.
However, as Mr. Pujari approached the High Court of Karnataka in Kalaburagi, the tribunal order as well as a notification of August 11, 2023 announcing Mr. Rajkumar’s transfer were quashed on November 17.
“When the High Court upheld my appeal, I approached the Deputy Director of the Social Welfare Department to allow me to continue in the Assistant Director’s post on November 18. However, my request has not been considered yet. That’s why, I came to office to discharge duty,” Mr. Pujari told The Hindu.
And, Mr. Rajkumar’s accusation is that Mr. Pujari occupied his seat when he went out for lunch. “Therefore, I got another chair to sit in the same chamber as I am authorised to discharge my official duty in view of Mr. Pujari not bringing his movement order from the Deputy Director,” he said.
Though it seems amusing to see two officials fighting it out for a chair, the public have in the last couple of days been in a dilemma about whom to approach for their work.
“Yadgir district has often seen many vacant posts due to lack of officials. But, now, we see two officials fighting it out for the same post,” social activist Shranu Gadduge said, expressing displeasure over the development.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat Garima Panwar has written to the Principal Secretary of the Social Welfare Department seeking a direction to get Mr. Pujari the post of Assistant Director.
“We will take further action after a direction from the State government comes,” Deputy Director of Social Welfare Saroja said.
