IAS Body Vs Former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat In Uttarakhand Over Illegal Mining Remark—All About It

A day after MP and former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat’s remarks on an IAS officer, the Uttarakhand IAS Association has released a resolution, saying that it "expects respectful behavior" from all section of society, Indian Express reported.

The Association is also planning to submit a memorandum to the State Chief Minister.

On Saturday, Rawat, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Haridwar seat, had said he did not want to comment on a statement by the mining secretary, who denied Rawat’s claims of illegal mining made inside the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

“A lion doesn’t hunt dogs,” Rawat said, Indian Express reported.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Rawat flagged what he called a “concerning issue” from Uttarakhand.

“In Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital, illegal mining is getting rampant at night,” he said.

That evening, the state government released a video of mining secretary Brijesh Sant, denying the "allegations".

“The statement that illegal mining is increasing in the state is baseless and false. This is substantiated by data on mining because there has been an increase in revenue,” he said.

In a statement, it said, “Like ordinary citizens, members of the Association naturally and inherently have the right to self-respect and dignity. Individuals, office bearers, institutions, and organisations should refrain from making statements or gestures that harm the self-respect of the Association’s members and their families or injure their pride. In such circumstances, members of the Association may experience a decline in morale, and a discouraging environment may adversely affect their efficiency, work capacity, and service delivery.”

The state's IAS Association met on Sunday (30 March) in response to Rawat’s comment made the day before.

In a statement, the IAS body said, “Like ordinary citizens, members of the Association naturally and inherently have the right to self-respect and dignity. Individuals, office bearers, institutions, and organisations should refrain from making statements or gestures that harm the self-respect of the Association’s members and their families or injure their pride. In such circumstances, members of the Association may experience a decline in morale, and a discouraging environment may adversely affect their efficiency, work capacity, and service delivery.”

It added that its members work under the constitutional framework to implement the decisions of elected governments.

“The stability and continuity of governance, along with adherence to the principles of neutrality and anonymity, are fundamental traits of the administrative machinery… the Association expects respectful behavior from all sections of society to uphold the dignity and right to self-respect of the Association and its members,” it said.

The Association also decided to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.

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