Hyderabad: Senior IPS officer V.K. Singh, who was abruptly transferred out as DG, Prisons and given the “‘punishment”’ posting of Commissioner, Printing and Stationery recently, created a flutter today when he said that “‘Bangaru Telangana” could not be achieved through politics alone and that people’s participation was a must to achieve it.
The senior IPS officer said that politics could never bring about prosperity in society and only a social movement, like the one led by social activist Anna Hazare, could do good for society.
His statements became the talking point among the IPS fraternity in Telangana and AP and many were worried how the powers-that-be in Telangana would view his comments. Mr Singh, who hails from Bihar, was abruptly transferred when he was on leave.
Sources said VK Singh was transferred as he irked the powers that be by writing frequent letters (about 60) to them, a majority of them with a request to convene a meeting of the Prisons Development Board, for which the Chief Minister is the chairman.
Describing his sudden transfer as a surprise, Mr Singh said that though it was true that he had been contemplating taking Voluntary Retirement (VR) from service for the last three years as he felt that he was “vegetating in service” and work towards bringing social awareness, all the innuendos in the media that he was resigning as he did not get a good posting, made him rethink and held him back.
“Coming to the new department (Printing and Stationery) overnight on transfer was a surprise. However, I have got many more such transfers in the combined state of Andhra Pradesh. In my entire career, I have never asked for any posting. In fact, I have been transferred within six to nine months of holding different posts earlier. I did not join the police force to get a good posting but had joined to bring about a change in the system. However, it could not be possible because of reasons beyond my control,” Singh, a 1987 batch IPS officer said.
He also wanted the state government to take a call on the functioning of the Printing and Stationery department, saying that if the government wanted to continue with this department, then it had to be strengthened, he said.
“‘As there is nil work here, I want to launch a social movement to promote literacy, make a crime-free society, haritha haram, swachhta abhiyaan, good governance and a corrupt-free state and a vibrant democracy. Now I have decided to visit different areas of Hyderabad every week and work for swachhta abhiyaan to make Hyderabad garbage-free. Thereafter, I will visit villages, mandals to meet the people and spread social awareness. I want to teach poor students,” he said calling upon all sections of people to join him.
The senior IPS officer said he would also strive to bring electoral reforms and social awareness that votes need not be given on the basis of religion or caste.
