Farm loan waiver bungling: Senior IT bureaucrat VK Gautam shunted

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Information Technology Principal Secretary V K Gautam was transferred today by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis following reports of bungling in implementing the politically sensitive farm loan waiver scheme.

Gautam, a 1987 batch IAS officer, has now been posted as Principal Secretary, Accounts and Treasury, in Finance department, a General Administration Department (GAD) official said tonight.

S V R Srinivas, a 1991 batch IAS officer who was OSD for Dharavi Redevelopment Project, has replaced Gautam as the Principal Secretary, Information and Technology.

The GAD, headed by Fadnavis, today issued an order to transfer a total of 10 senior bureaucrats.

The state government had announced the release of the first installment of waiver amount, which was to be directly deposited into bank accounts of farmers, just days before the Diwali festival in October this year.

The government had invited severe flak from the opposition as well as its ruling ally Shiv Sena over reports of anomalies like more than one beneficiaries having the same Aadhar Card number and errors in data entries.

Even the online registration for farmers to avail the benefits of the scheme was marred by several technical glitches that had delayed the process, giving a handle to the opposition parties to attack the NDA government.

There had been reports that Gautam had been sent on a forced leave.

However, Gautam later clarified that he had taken leave as his aged father was sick. Thereafter, Gautam never resumed charge of his office.

According to sources, the government effected the transfer in view of the upcoming winter session of the state legislature, beginning in Nagpur on December 11.

The issue of alleged bungling in the implementation of the loan waiver may be raised in the session by the opposition to corner the BJP-led government.