Sanjiv Chaturvedi: zero tolerance for honesty in the Narendra Modi government
Ever since the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation
gave the whistleblower-civil servant Sanjiv Chaturvedi its
prestigious ‘Emergent Leadership’ award, the politicians and bureaucrats who
hounded him for uncovering corruption in high places have been
stunned into silence. Chaturvedi, who was removed as Chief Vigilance
Officer (CVO) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) last
August, moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) last month, alleging
victimisation by the Union Health Ministry for taking lawful action
in corruption cases involving politically influential officials.
The Magsaysay Foundation has honoured him for “exemplary
integrity, courage and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and
painstakingly investigating corruption in public office, and his resolute
crafting of programme and system improvements to ensure that government
honorably serves the people of India.” In this interview with Chander
Suta Dogra, he explains why he believes that there is zero tolerance for
honesty in the Narendra Modi government.
This is a great achievement. Has life changed in any way for
you after the international recognition of your work?
On a personal level there is no change in the attitude of
officialdom towards me. No officer from AIIMS congratulated me, not even
the Director or anyone from the health ministry. The only two prominent
persons who did call me are Haryana minister Anil Vij, and Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal. But my staff at AIIMS and many ordinary people who I do
not even know more than made up by their enthusiastic celebration of the
award. My married life was disrupted by the Hooda government when I took
up cudgels against them and it has not mended. But, I have the support of
my family in all that I do.
You have been without work for almost a
year now, after you were removed as the Chief Vigilance Officer of AIIMS in
August last. Many say the award is an embarrassment for the Narendra Modi
government which has been hounding you on several fronts, after you initiated
several investigations into corruption in AIIMS.
Like many people I took the Prime Minister’s election slogan
of ‘Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga’ (‘I won’t make money and I won’t let
others either’) at face value and actually believed that he is the
anti-corruption messiah we were waiting for. I am hugely disappointed. There is
zero tolerance for honesty [in the cases I have uncovered] in this government.
Why do you say that?
Last August, when I was removed as CVO for initiating
investigation and action against powerful vested interests there was a hue and
a cry in the media. I later learnt through RTI that the PM had on 23rd
August asked for a report about my removal from the Union Health Ministry.
I also procured a copy of the same report and was shocked to find that it
contained blatant lies about my appointment. The Health Secretary had written
on the file that I was removed because my appointment did not have the approval
from the governing body or the Institute body of AIIMS. This is not true
because I have with me the minutes of the meetings of these bodies when they
approved my appointment.
On seeing this, I sent the Prime Minister a counter report
with full documents detailing the nexus in AIIMS, with motives and facts,
[identifying] who are the politicians and bureaucrats involved and requested a
fair investigation. In October, the PMO asked the health secretary for comments
on my communication to him, and when these did not come, in February there was
a reminder. When the PM had personally intervened in a matter to learn
what has happened, it is my legitimate expectation that it should have been
brought to its logical conclusion by now. Either I am wrong or that nexus that
I have tried to expose is guilty.
What happened after that?
I had also informed the Prime Minister officially about the
manner in which I was harassed and in September had sent him all letters
written by present health minister JP Nadda before he became health minister,
asking for my removal and to stop the investigations I had initiated. Instead,
Mr. Nadda was made my minister, in which capacity he not only supervises my
ACRs but is the disciplinary authority in all those cases which he was
demanding be closed. While I have full respect for the honourable minister,
this is a perverted sense of justice. Under the circumstances, what is
happening to me now was inevitable.
What is happening to you now? The Haryana government gave
you a promotion after you won the award.
I was not given the promotion because of the award, but
because I moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for a time scale
promotion that is routinely given at 13 years. The rest of my batchmates got it
in January, but I was not even considered in the Departmental Promotion
Committee (DPC) meeting held in January. I met Haryana chief minister Manohar
Lal Khattar and showed him my outstanding reports and represented to him. He
heard me out and said that my name will be considered next time. Can you
imagine my disappointment when they did not consider my name, even in the June
DPC. I was forced to go to CAT on June 29th and the
promotion has been given because they do not have any answer for the next CAT
hearing. Khattar has been demanding my repatriation to Haryana, even
though he knows that there is a threat to me there. Am I wrong
in concluding that the combined harassment by the Haryana government and the
Health ministry has the blessings of the highest quarter?
What then is the secret of your success in getting the
better of your more powerful opponents in government?
I have come to believe that if your intentions are good,
divine power comes to your rescue. I have received help from the most
unexpected of places and people when I was fighting several battles with the
government. Many anonymous people in high and low places have helped me out
over the years. All it takes is one honest and angry person toiling away at his
desk to tip me off about an impending action from the powers that be, or help
out with well meaning advice. Deep down, even the corrupt want a corruption
free environment. I have never done any of what I did for awards. I also knew
the implications that I could face, whenever I opened a file of a powerful
person.
You are a deputy secretary in the AIIMS with no major
duties. In February, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had asked for
your services as his OSD. What is holding it up?
When they wanted to remove me as CVO, it took just 24 hours
for the government to get 20 signatures on the file. Now, even though I fulfil
all the conditions for going on deputation, and ministry officials have
informed the government of this, six months have passed. Both the minister and
secretary are putting several queries that have delayed a decision. File
notings show that for 40 days it lay with the Forest Minister Prakash
Javadekar. It then went for a legal opinion. For the last two months it is
lying with the AIIMS director. Oddly, when I was appointed in AIIMS, the
director was not consulted, but when I am to be relieved, he is. This is a
classic case of how files are handled when the government does not want to take
a decision.
What according to you is the biggest challenge in
fighting corruption nowadays?
The biggest problem for officers like us is that if we come
into conflict with the higher ups in the political establishment, all the
disciplinary powers – to transfer, write our ACRs or chargesheet us – are with
them. The All India Services still provide some protection, but subordinate
services like state civil services, are very vulnerable. In the states, two things have collapsed in recent times.
One is fairness in appointments, as exemplified by the irregularities in the
Vyapam scam. It breeds extreme discontent among the youth. Secondly, the anti
corruption machinery in the states has become completely defunct. The aam admi
is most affected by lower level corruption and only will power is required to
tackle it.
Do you have a message for juniors who might want to
follow your example?
It is a tough road to follow but I believe that the battle
against corruption has to be fought like the freedom movement. Many more people
will have to make sacrifices to end it. It is not just limited to bribery and
speed money but has begun to hit at the dignity of the aam aadmi, his hopes and
dreams. There is heart wrenching frustration among the young when they
find undeserving candidates getting jobs by bribing top officials. It is
a dangerous situation.
If we keep the award aside for a moment, you seem to be
at a dead end. Do you have a plan for the future? What is next on your agenda?
After fighting so many cases, facing vigilance enquiries,
false FIRs and more, I have become stronger in fighting corruption and have
acquired new skills to deal with situations. I am presently consulting like
minded people to create something that works within the system to improve it.
It may involve working with probationers and school children. I take strength
from a Supreme Court judgement which says that though a civil servant is bound
by service conditions, he/she does not forfeit her rights as a citizen and can
intervene in matters of public interest, independent of what she may be
required to do as an official.
Can we ever have a corruption free India?
Sometimes I lose hope, but then think that this a journey that
other developed countries have already made. The manner in which honest
politicians are getting support across caste and communal divides is telling us
something. Nowadays, even a corrupt person wants a clean candidate. But the
corrupt outnumber the honest officials in government. If we somehow
manage to reach a critical number like say 30 per cent or so, then it will
become difficult for government to stifle our voice.
http://thewire.in/2015/08/08/sanjiv-chaturvedi-modi-is-not-the-anti-corruption-messiah-we-are-waiting-for-8023/What is corruption?
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