IPS officer D Roopa says she opted out; NBF says a nominee lobbied for award

BENGALURU: A controversy has erupted over

Namma Bengaluru Foundation’s

‘

Government Official of The Year

’ award this year. While

IPS officer D Roopa

, one of the nominees, on Monday claimed that she chose to recuse herself from the competition citing conflict of interest,

NBF

took exception to “inappropriate conduct of one of the nominees” who had “lobbied” for the award and called it “a case of sour grapes”.

Roopa said it was

NBF founder Rajeev Chandrasekhar

’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket that prompted her to change her mind about receiving an award from a politically-aligned organization.

Claiming that she wrote an open letter on March 23 pulling herself out of the competition in light of the upcoming assembly elections and her desire to be fair, Roopa said: “Where did I say that I have the award and I am returning it? I only removed myself from the running as I didn’t want to get into any controversy. NBF is not what it used to be. I am not commenting on their activism but they have taken many issues to court, involving government officials who then receive such awards...”

Stopping short of naming Roopa, NBF said: “There were multiple communication by this nominee to lobby both to the jury, NBF team and trustees... Her letter and WhatsApp messages reiterate... her desire to get the award. Her views only surfaced after the jury had decided the final winner. She was never offered the award, so there was no case of her turning it down... Sadly, we are not able to address this except to reiterate our view that all nominees are winners.”

Rukmini Krishnaswamy, director, Spastics Society of Karnataka, was chosen Namma Bengalurean of the Year; Sanjeev V Dyamannanavar, an urban transport activist Citizen of The Year; journalist Rasheed Kappan Mediaperson of The Year; Dipika Bajpai, DCF, Bengaluru Urban, Government Official of The Year; Prashanth S B, chairman of Nayonika Eye Care Charitable Trust, Social Entrepreneur of The Year, and Vidya Y, co-founder and trustee, Vision Empower, Rising Star of The Year.

Friends of Lakes, Project Vruksha Foundation, Save Pattandur Agrahara Lake and Save Kaggadasapura Lake were honoured with the Champions of Namma Bengaluru – 2018 award.