Shivraj irked with RTI activists, terms MP bureaucrats 'best in country'

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday lashed out at Right to Information (RTI) activists.

Training his guns on the activists, he said that 'some RTI activists have ganged up and in the name of seeking information, harass people".

Chouhan was addressing the IAS officers' service meet at Academy of Administration in Bhopal. "Kuchh gande hote hain (*some are dirty), he said. "Such elements need to be dealt with sternly", he said.

Activist Ajay Dubey has condemned Shivraj Chouhan's comment and said that the CM was trying to appease the corrupt bureaucrats. "This is baseless charge and the CM would be sent legal notice to apologise", he wrote in a Facebook post. "It is an attempt to weaken the activists", he added. 

Meanwhile, Chouhan praised bureaucrats of the state and said that MP's bureaucracy was the best among all the states in the country. He said that the bureaucrats need to take bold decisions and asked them to shun arrogance.

"The officers must work fearlessly. If you had fear, you should have opened a general merchants' shop. Take bold decisions", he said. Chouhan told the officials must remember that there's not the usual 10 am-5 pm job and they get all the facilities like government accommodation, vehicle, employees and perks because they are 'jan-sewak' (public servant).

"Be modest and serve the people", he told the IAS officers. He also had a warning for the officers. If there is any grievance they should come and speak up but they must not cross the 'lakshman rekha', he further said.

This was apparently in context of IAS officers Ramesh Thete and Shashi Karnawat who have accused government of being anti-Dalit. "We don't think which officer is from the upper caste and which officer is from the backward caste", Chouhan further said. Earlier, chief secretary BP Singh welcomed the CM.