Rajasthan: Woman IAS Officer, Who Fined Congress MLA’s Driver And Allegedly ‘Misbehaved’ At A Market, Transferred

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Tejasvi Rana, who had fined Congress MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Rajendra Singh Bhiduri's driver on 14 April for not carrying a driving licence while driving during the nationwide lockdown, has been transferred. Rana was posted in Chittorgarh (Rajasthan) as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).

The development has stunned the people of Chittorgarh. Amar Ujala has reported that Bidhuri has said that he has no hand or role in Rana's transfer. He said that he was travelling to his constituency in the vehicle of a party worker.

Bidhuri said that the officer stopped his vehicle and asked the driver to show the driving licence. The driver was not carrying the licence. He claimed that he was polite to the officer while paying the fine, and he was not aware of Rana's transfer.

He even added that he did not report the matter to anyone and appreciates the work that frontline warriors are pitching in against the spread of coronavirus.

Rana's measures to combat the spread of virus seem to have not gone down well with some people of power in the area. This Navbharat Times report has mentioned that former MLA Surendra Singh Jadavat claimed that Rana's behaviour was putting a question mark on Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's own appeal for sensitivity towards those people who are serving the needy.

Jadavat has said that Rana hindered the work of Bidhuri — the Bengu MLA — who was helping the needy in Gangrar area. It was when Rana stopped his car and fined the driver.

He said that Rana 'misbehaved' with traders in the local mandi, and with Congress workers who were helping the needy.

The report mentions Jadavat as saying that the district collector will be briefed on the incident and Chief Minister Gehlot will be given information on the matter.

Rana's steps to reinforce lockdown measures at the local wholesale fruit and vegetable mandi against people not found following social distancing norms, had made news and raised many eyebrows.

The report mentions that she allegedly tore off some passes of people who were "serving the needy" and these passes were issued by her.

Rajasthan Patrika states that Rana even threw furniture at one of the shops there, and that Bidhuri and Jadavat had met the district collector over the matter.

Reports say that the video of her actions at the mandi went viral.

A PTI report carried by the New Indian Express quotes Jadavat as saying: "the officer reached mandi and misbehaved with vendors there on Tuesday. It was the time when the district administration had already announced a relaxation for four hours. There was no crowd on shops and the traders were sitting idle but the officer aggressively accosted them, threw their registers after snatching them from the shopkeepers."

Rana has now been transferred to Jaipur as chief executive officer — state health assurance agency.