IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi resigned! Know what is the guideline of DoPT and what will be his fate

xBhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi, who is currently posted as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the General Administration and Public Grievance Department, is suspected to have tendered his resignation letter to Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja.

The 1995-batch Odisha-cadre officer is speculated to have resigned as a mark of protest against the CBI raids on his official quarter in Bhubaneswar yesterday. The buzz around his resignation grew louder as a hand-written letter purportedly written by him to the Chief Secretary went viral on the social media hours after the officials of the central agency searched his official quarter premises.

Even Bishnupada Sethi’s silence over the viral letter further fuelled the rumours of his resignation as during a face-off with the CBI team he had said he would resign and commit suicide alleging that along with his family he has been subjected to harassment without any of his fault or FIR against him.

On the other hand, the guidelines of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) say “It’s not in the interest of the Government to retain an unwilling member of the service.” However, a resignation has to be clear and unconditional. Therefore, now it is being asked whether his resignation as a mark of protest “satisfy” clear and unconditional” criteria. Now, all eyes on what steps the Chief Secretary will take on his resignation letter. Bishnupada Sethi can, of course, withdraw his resignation letter.

Notably, Sethi, the former Principal Secretary of the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department, had come under CBI scanner over a bribery scandal and his links with the Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited group.