By Sharat Pradhan, IANS
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh has got a new chief secretary and a new police chief, and both men say they are determined to put the country's most populous state on the fast track after Chief Minister Mayawati promised not to interfere in their functioning.
Prashant Kumar Misra and Vikram Singh, who have been appointed as chief secretary and director general of police respectively, are considered to be upright and efficient officers.
Their appointment has come a pleasant surprise to not only members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) but everyone who has been used to seeing "tainted" officials getting the administrative top slots in the past.
Both Singh and Misra agreed to cut short their respective tenures with the central government to return to Uttar Pradesh because they were convinced that Mayawati really meant business.
Misra was holding the position of secretary, ministry of parliamentary affairs while Singh was working as the additional director general of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Highly placed sources told IANS that Mayawati personally urged the two officers to return to the state and is understood to have told them: "I have inherited a lot of mess in Uttar Pradesh. I need really honest and dedicated officers to run the show and put that state back on track. Therefore, I would want people like you to come and do your bit."
While Singh took over as the police chief about ten days back, Misra assumed the chief secretary's office Sunday.
Understood to be very reluctant about taking up the assignment, Misra was assured that he would not be asked or coerced to carry out anything wrong or illegal. "I would like to tell you that you will have all the freedom to work and no one will ask you to bypass or flout laws and rules," Mayawati is reported to have told Misra.
Misra faced a lot of pressure and counter pressure from his peers but he finally decided to take the plunge. "Yes, while there was a section of my senior colleagues who wanted me to accept the challenge there was another lot which tried to dissuade me from assuming the chief secretary's office here on the plea that the institution had been diluted," he told IANS.
"However, it was my talk with the chief minister that prompted me to take the final plunge because there was no reason to doubt her sincerity and commitment towards transforming Uttar Pradesh on all fronts.
"And after coming here, I do not see how the institution has been diluted. In fact, I am impressed that most of the key positions have been entrusted to truly committed officers who have dreams of taking Uttar Pradesh to new heights. I am here to join them in this mission and I see no reason for failure", said Misra.
Asked if he sees any obstacle in his path on account of the creation of a cabinet secretary's position, Misra said: "I think the two positions would very well supplement each other. After all, we both have the common goal to build Uttar Pradesh and to take it ahead against all odds.
"I have the best of relations with the incumbent Shashank Shekhar Singh who is a doer. So where is the question of any hurdle?"
In his first round-table conference with principal secretaries and secretaries of various departments Monday evening, Misra declared his priorities – "honesty, commitment and responsiveness towards the people of the state."