By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 1 May: Senior IAS officer BVRC Purushottam, currently serving as Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, in the Uttarakhand government, has applied for voluntary retirement, a decision that has sparked discussions within bureaucratic circles as he still has over 12 years of service left before his scheduled retirement in 2037.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Purushottam confirmed that he has indeed applied for voluntary retirement and shared that he had actually done so about 20 days ago. He also stated that, so far, he is not aware of the fate of his application.
He affirmed that the reasons behind his intention for voluntary retirement are entirely personal.
Sources however believe that some time ago, Purushottam had also sought an inter-state deputation to Andhra Pradesh, which is his native state. Despite the fact that the state government had granted a No Objection Certificate on his application for inter-state deputation, sources claim that the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) of the Government of India did not move ahead with the approval for inter-state deputation as, during the past few years, the Union Government has become stricter on regulations of deputation and inter-state deputations have become rather difficult.
Probably disappointed with the Centre’s lack of interest in granting to him approval for the interstate deputation, Purushottam has now applied for voluntary retirement, which is more easily approved. In his official application, Purushottam, a 2004-batch IAS officer, has cited family reasons for his decision.
Sources in the state government have claimed that Purushottam’s VRS application is currently under review by the State Personnel Department, and once vetted at the state level, it will be forwarded to the DoPT at the Centre for final approval and this process may take up to two months. In case, voluntary retirement is accepted, his departure will mark the exit of a widely respected and hardworking officer, known for his efficient handling of administrative responsibilities. He also carries an image of being an upright officer. By qualification, he is a veterinary doctor and, as a veterinarian, heading the Animal Husbandry and the Fisheries Department as Secretary was considered close to his heart. He is known to have worked hard to make the department function better and more efficiently. He also holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from University of California. During his interactions with Garhwal Post, he has shared his keen interest in biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence as well as in spirituality.
It may be recalled that Purushottam is not the first senior bureaucrat in Uttarakhand to opt for voluntary retirement, as several IAS, IPS, and IFS officers have done the same in the past due to various reasons. While some chose to go to the Centre on deputation and never return to the state, others like IAS officer Umakant Panwar retired 10 years before his scheduled retirement for personal reasons. Later, his wife Manisha Panwar also opted for VRS due to health reasons. In addition, senior IAS officer Dr Rakesh Kumar, who had an image of being a clean and dynamic officer while he was District Magistrate in Dehradun, later as Secretary to the state government went to the Centre on deputation, only returned to the state for a while after already getting his VRS. Dr Kumar was also appointed as Chairman of the State Public Service Commission but soon resigned from there. IAS Officer Bhupendra Kaur Aulakh, who was health secretary, also opted for VRS. Among the officers of other cadres, IPS officer V Vinay Kumar also opted for VRS and now IFS Officer Manoj Chandran has also sought VRS. In his case, an impending departmental inquiry against him is holding back a decision on his application.
