The removal of the Lingayat deputy commissioner in his native district of Davangere served as the immediate cause of his outburst. Another powerful Lingayat, the BJP’s BS Yediyurappa, backed Shivaskhankarappa’s assertion.
Source: Diplomacy & Beyond Plus
Additionally, there have been rumours in the bureaucracy that officers from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Kuruba community are given preference over other officers.Lingayats continue to hold key posts in many branches of the government under Siddaramaiah’s rule, according to a list he produced to support his denial of these accusations.
Caste, along with money and influence, is a major factor in postings and transfers, as is well known. There is a churn in the bureaucracy every time the government changes because officials from the community of the new CM or his ministers are hand-selected for prestigious positions. MLAs insist that officers from their community be deployed in their constituencies, while ministers choose their personal staff from among members of their own community. Because of casteism’s pervasiveness, many police personnel openly identify with and work for neighborhood political leaders.
Source: India Today
Over the years, a few senior government officials have spoken out against such racial postings, but Karnataka has rarely had a Chief Secretary who has defied the state’s political leaders. Politicians have thus far been able to get their way, and they will continue to do so unless top police and bureaucratic officers speak out against caste-based posts and transfers.
An officer’s allegiance should be to the government and the Constitution, not to the local political figure. Start by taking disciplinary action against officers who interact with politicians to get things in order. Postings and transfers cannot be based on these considerations, even though caste-based reservations have been made in appointments and even promotions to ensure social justice and representation to castes and groups. They must be determined by qualifications and merit. The first step toward politicking the bureaucracy is posting officers depending on other factors and politicians’ preferences.
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