The transfer of Keshav Desiraju, former health secretary, to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has raised the hackles of public health activists.

Public health organisation, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, on Friday expressed “grave concern at the manner in which Keshav Desiraju has been transferred out in a summary and precipitate manner, barely 11 months after being appointed.”

The organisation said that the manner of Desiraju’s transfer, who was called a “capable officer” by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Health, soon after the the former’s transfer, is circumspect.

Jan Swasthya Abhiyan is a coalition of over 20 networks and 1,000 organisations working on public health issues.

“It is then a matter of public concern that a capable officer, heading the Ministry of Health has been shunted out, thus leaving a key ministry concerned with peoples’ health and welfare without an executive head,” the organisation said in a statement.

It is believed that Desiraju’s transfer came into effect because of some disagreements with the Cabinet Secretariat and due to an alleged resistance shown by the bureaucrat in accepting several appointments made by the Minister, including that of Ketan Desai’s return to the Medical Council of India (MCI). Desai, who headed the MCI earlier, is facing several corruption charges.

“Reports suggest that, despite pressures, after having consulted with the CBI Desiraju did not want to sanction the re-entry of Ketan Desai into the MCI,” the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan statement said.

The organisation further said that Desiraju’s transfer is a violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling of October 2013 where the Apex Court had asked the Centre and State Governments to take steps to insulate the bureaucracy from political pulls and pressures, and also ensure fixed tenures for serving officers.

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