Flip‑flop transfers raise questions on Belagavi administration

Belagavi: A spate of transfers, reversals and delays has triggered questions over the credibility and transparency of govt postings in Belagavi, with recent developments pointing to instability in administrative decisions.

As per transfer orders issued last week, senior IPS officer Sandeep Patil was to take charge as Inspector General of Police (Northern Range), Belagavi. However, sources said the posting has since been withheld, allegedly following political intervention. Patil, who served as Belagavi SP in the early 2010s, was earlier posted as IGP of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP).

In another case, Belagavi deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshan had recommended suspension of the Belagavi South sub‑registrar in connection with a property registration case involving alleged forged documents and fake signatures. The recommendation, submitted on Tuesday to the inspector general of registration and commissioner of stamps (IGRCS), was expected to be acted upon by Wednesday. However, until Thursday evening, no suspension order had been issued, drawing criticism over administrative delay.

Responding to questions, DC Roshan said the suspension order “may be issued anytime.”

Uncertainty appears sharper within the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC), where frequent transfers and reversals have led to administrative confusion. About three weeks ago, deputy commissioner (administration) Udaykumar Talwar and office assistant (revenue) Hanumant Kaladagi were transferred by the Urban Development Department. Within a week, the orders were cancelled, allowing them to return to their original posts. Soon after, both officers were again transferred to their parent department, municipal administration, though no fresh postings have been assigned so far.

Similarly, several other officials — office assistant Priyanka Chandrakant Vinayak, environmental engineers Praveenkumar Khilari and Adilkhan Pathad, and revenue officer DG Kori — were transferred to their parent departments on May 12 and are yet to receive new postings.

The repeated transfers, cancellations and delays have heightened concerns about whether established norms and procedures are being consistently followed in administrative functioning.

Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar expressed concern over what he described as growing political interference and monetary influence in government transfers, saying principles of merit and efficiency were being undermined. “The government’s responsibility is to protect efficient and honest officers. But merit and performance are increasingly being overlooked, with political intervention dominating decisions,” he said, alleging that money power was influencing postings and turning the system into a “bidding process”.

Shettar warned that such practices were weakening the administrative machinery and demoralising officials. “When officers are transferred and then brought back to the same posts within a short span, it raises serious suspicion. There are also cases of officers being transferred multiple times in a year for refusing to toe the line,” he added.