Priyank denies rift with Cabinet colleague over officer postings

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday rubbished media reports that there had been infighting between him and Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on the one hand and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satish Jarkiholi on the other over transfer of certain officers. Notably, Kharge and Hebbalkar are in Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s camp.

Meanwhile Jarkiholi is close to CM Siddaramaiah, both of them having a reputation for being “secular humanists”.

Priyank branded the reports that appeared in certain Kannada digital and print media outlets a fabrication, adding that they should sought a reaction from him and Jarkiholi before going ahead with the story.

“Media friends should have tried to contact me and Satish Jarkiholi before going ahead with such fabrications and fake news that create confusion among people” he said.

“One shouldn’t use a question mark at the end of the headline and go ahead with false news,” he added.

It is said that Jarkiholi promoted an officer who had been suspended by Kharge over delayed work causing alleged loss to the state exchequer. Later on, media reports claimed that the officers that were transferred at the behest and request of Jarkiholi had been reinstated on the recommendation of Hebbalkar.

On June 8, Kharge’s office had disclosed that SR Harish from the Panchayat Raj Department in Tumakuru district, who was accused of causing a loss of Rs2.76 crore due to delay in works, was suspended.

The second suspension was that of Basavaraj K Halacher, who is alleged to have delayed some 41 works in the Yadgir Panchayat Raj Department causing a loss of Rs1.3 crore.

Later on, it was claimed that SR Harish was being recommended for the post of Executive Engineer in the PWD, replacing Hemalatha R. Siddaramaiah has in the past denied officers being transferred in exchange for money or on account of influence, calling the transfers a “routine affair”.

Opposition leaders such as HD Kumaraswamy on the other hand have accused the State government of running a transfer racket, inclusive of a “rate card” for various postings.