Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Silk Development Department has come under controversy after a week marked by repeated reshuffles. IAS Sunil Kumar Verma, who had been holding the charge since January 2023, was removed thrice within just seven days, before the position was finally handed to Special Secretary (Horticulture and Food Processing) Prerna Sharma.
Departmental sources cited delays in resolving IGRS complaints and workload issues as official reasons behind the move. Orders removing Verma were issued on September 1, 3, and 6, making the frequent changes a matter of discussion in bureaucratic circles. The final order clarified that Sharma would hold the post as an additional charge without extra pay.
Insiders, however, point to deeper issues. Allegations raised earlier by female employees against the Additional Chief Secretary of the department reportedly reached the Prime Minister’s Office and the Chief Minister’s Office. The pressure to resolve related IGRS complaints, some officials claim, was shifted onto Verma. Questions are now being asked why three separate orders were required within one week to remove the same officer. Observers
suggest the reshuffles may be linked not just to administrative efficiency but to growing pressure over unresolved complaints and the
department’s internal controversies.
