Ex-IAS officer to protest against new KPSC chief

Bengaluru: On a day when  former IAS officer, K. Sham Bhat took over the reins of Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), former additional chief secretary, M.N. Vijay Kumar has announced that an agitation would be launched against Mr Bhat.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Mr Vijay Kumar said that he had sought an appointment with governor Vajubai Vala to explain the alleged corrupt practices of Mr Bhat.

"However, I was denied an appointment and in this intervening period, the governor cleared Mr Bhat’s name. Either Mr Vala was misled by the government or he allowed himself to be misled," Mr Vijay Kumar said.

He has written a letter to retired IAS officers on Tuesday urging them to join him in raising their voice against Mr Bhat’s appointment. He told Deccan Chronicle that freedom fighter, H.S. Doreswamy had promised to join him in the press conference on Wednesday.

"But Mr Doreswamy was indisposed. So, he could not come to address the media. But, he promised me that he would launch an agitation and it would continue till Mr Bhat steps down," he said.

According to Mr Vijay Kumar, "Mr Bhat had perfected the use of discarded lottery tickets to allow state-wide illegal transportation when he was the transport commissioner."

A senior officer had recorded Mr Bhat’s corrupt practices and later they were destroyed, he said adding the governor was deliberately misled  by chief secretary Arvind Jadhav who gave vigilance clearance to Mr Bhat.