By Arun Pratap Singh
Chamoli, 3 Apr: In the past few weeks, some unprecedented incidents concerning the bureaucracy and the officialdom in Uttarakhand have hit the headlines that raise questions on the governance of the BJP Government. A high-stakes ongoing dispute between Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Tiwari and District Excise Officer Durgeshwar Kumar Tripathi has taken a dramatic turn, with the latter reported to be missing since 31 March. This controversy is related to the controversial allocation of liquor vends by the Excise Commissioner of Uttarakhand and senior IAS officer Hari Chandra Semwal in tune with the District Excise Officer bypassing the district administration, in particular, the District Magistrate. This ongoing power tussle over liquor vends allocations has not only stirred controversy but has also triggered a major administrative crisis in the district.
In the latest development, District Excise Officer Durgeshwar Kumar Tripathi has gone missing from, both, his office and residence, since the morning of 31 March. His mobile phone is also reported to be switched off, raising concerns about his whereabouts.
In this connection, Revenue Sub Inspector Chand Singh Butola, following directives from higher district authorities, has lodged a missing person report at Gopeshwar Police Station. Despite extensive searches, Tripathi remains missing, intensifying speculation about the unfolding events.
It may be recalled that two days before his disappearance, District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari had conducted an inspection at the District Excise Office, where Tripathi and two other employees were found absent. As a result, the DM had directed disciplinary action against Tripathi, deducting a day’s salary from the officials and halting Tripathi’s service benefits. This administrative crackdown, coinciding with his sudden disappearance, has raised several questions.
The sources claim that controversial allocation of liquor contracts is the basic root behind the conflict. The sources further claim that the discord between DM Tiwari and Tripathi originated from the allocation of two liquor contracts in Chamoli district. Allegedly, on the advice of the District Excise Officer, the Excise Commissioner, Hari Chandra Semwal, bypassed the DM and approved the contracts directly. This unilateral action led to tensions, with the DM questioning the legitimacy of the allocations.
This resulted in further controversial action by Tripathi, who in response to the action, reportedly wrote a letter to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directly without going through any proper channel, seeking intervention and alleging mistreatment by the DM. In response, DM Tiwari too formally recommended Tripathi’s suspension to the state government. The conflict escalated, further exposing fissures within the excise administration.
It may also be reminded here that the current Excise Commissioner, HC Semwal, had a tiff in the past even with the District Magistrate of Dehradun, Savin Bansal, who had order suspension of the licences of some bars in Dehradun for conducting business beyond permitted hours and in violation of certain other rules. In this connection, the Excise Commissioner had overturned the cancellation of the bar licence, causing undue embarrassment for the DM.
In the current controversy, it has been revealed that Tripathi, acting independently, not only allotted the liquor shops in Karnaprayag and Narayanbagh but also reduced the surcharge by 15 percent, allegedly without seeking approval from the DM. The DM, upon discovering this, summoned the Excise Officer and his staff for an explanation. However, shortly thereafter, Tripathi and two clerks went missing, with their phones switched off.
Further reports claim that Tripathi instructed his clerks to remain unreachable, further complicating the case. The situation mirrors a similar incident in Dehradun, where Excise Commissioner Semwal overturned an order by DM Bansal, reopening a sealed liquor shop.
The political analysts claim that the public sentiment on social media in this case appears to be rallying behind DM Tiwari. Reports coming from Chamoli claim that the local people and the local BJP leadership have lent strong support to DM Sandeep Tiwari and have demanded transfer of District Excise Officer Tripathi from Chamoli. The issue has also drawn political heat, with the opposition seizing the moment to criticise the state government over alleged irregularities in liquor licensing. Now all eyes are on Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the next course of action in this case as the incident not only exposes deep cracks within the bureaucratic framework but also puts the government’s regulatory oversight under intense scrutiny.
Insiders have claimed that some relatively middle level excise officials are the calling shots in excise matters while the senior officers are being forced to look the other way.
Excise Officer Durgeshwar Tripathi attached to Excise Commissioner’s OfficeBy Our Staff ReporterDehradun, 3 Apr: Taking cognisance of the controversy and “out of the way’ behaviour of District Excise Officer of Chamoli, Durgeshwar Tripathi and his tussle with District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, the government has attached the services of Tripathi to the Office of Excise Commissioner. Orders to this effect were this evening issued by Principal Secretary Excise L Fanai, saving the government from a possible major embarrassment in this regard.
