Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, July 7
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad on Thursday intervened in the ongoing tussle between the Education Minister, Chandrashekhar Yadav and Additional Chief Secretary K K Pathak.
The two had been exchanging letters against each other for the last couple of days and these communications were being made public.
Pathak, the IAS 1990 batch IAS officer, had taken over as ACS of education department last month and issued orders contrary to the decisions of the minister. He had revoked the compulsory domicile clause for appointment of 1.76 lakh teachers against the decision of the minister. Also, he introduced dress code for the government employees and officers and banned jeans and T shirts in the offices.
Pathak issued orders to ban entry of the private secretary of the education minister in the secretariat and asked all directors not to receive any letter sent by the PS of the minister. He had also directed the Minister’s PS not to affix Dr before his name as his Ph D was doubtful.
Chanadrashekhar Yadav in his two pages note to the ACS had alleged the IAS officer was projecting himself as Robin hood and bringing bad name to the government through his anti-government actions.
Ratnesh Sada, welfare minister too joined the controversy and alleged Pathak was anti-dalit.
Former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said Pathak enjoyed patronage of the chief minister and Chandrashekhar was being supported by Lalu Yadav. The war of letters between the two has destroyed the credibility of the education department.
Describing Pathak as Scabless in leprosy, he asked the chief minister to sack the ACS and also remove the minister. Pathak was in controversy in February this year when he had abused the Biharis and calling the deputy collectors incompetent and inefficient.
