MP: IAS Officer Takes VRS Ahead Of State Assembly Polls

Shahdol (Madhya Pradesh): An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre batch 2003 has taken voluntary retirement (VRS, Voluntary Retirement Scheme) from his post ahead of the state assembly polls slated later this year.

The IAS officer, Rajeev Sharma applied for the VRS around a month ago; however, he told ANI about taking voluntary retirement on Tuesday. Sharma was serving as Commissioner in Shahdol district in the state since April 2021. 

Meanwhile, speculations are going on in the political corridors that Sharma, a resident of Bhind district, is likely to contest in the forthcoming assembly elections from his home assembly constituency in Bhind district.  Nonetheless, the officer denied the election speculations saying his VRS had nothing to do with the upcoming assembly polls.

My VRS has nothing to do with the elections. I have taken VRS to breathe the air of freedom. There are many limitations and many restrictions in government service. I have followed those limitations with full determination and now I feel that as a poet, as a writer and as a human being, my time has come to celebrate freedom, Sharma told ANI. 

When asked about there being speculation in the political circles about his name that he could likely contest the upcoming assembly elections and there were talks going on among both the major parties (Congress and BJP), the officer added that he did not have any such thoughts. It was not right to say anything about the future for the time being.

Earlier, Chhatarpur Deputy Collector Nisha Bangre resigned citing she did not get permission to attend the inauguration of her newly constructed house from the state government. Nisha Bangre, who was posted as Deputy Collector in Chhatarpur and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Lavkush Nagar resigned from the post on June 22.

Besides, a woman tehsildar posted in Sheopur district resigned from her post citing "neglect" in the service. The tehsildar, Amita Singh, on August 4, wrote her resignation letter to the district collector and mentioned the reason for being continuously neglected by the senior officials.

Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to go for the assembly polls later this year. Through the polls, the state will elect legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.