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Bengaluru: A fresh administrative tussle has surfaced within the Karnataka Department of Health and Family Welfare after Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta, a senior IAS officer, wrote to the government highlighting alleged inefficiencies among staff and recommending a restructuring of the department. The move has sparked a strong reaction from the Karnataka Government Secretariat Employees’ Association, which accused Gupta of making “baseless allegations” and “demoralising employees.” Harsh Gupta’s letter calls for reforms In his letter dated October 29 and addressed to the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), Gupta emphasised the need for improved efficiency and timely processing of files related to employee service matters. Since the health department provides critical and emergency services to the public, Gupta argued that ensuring the staff’s morale and performance was vital. He stated that files pertaining to appointments, transfers, inquiries, pensions, and court cases must be processed “as early and efficiently as possible.” He further recommended that competent officers be appointed in key administrative roles and proposed the creation of an additional post to strengthen the department’s administrative structure. “It is requested that competent officers or staff be posted in the section handling service matters in the Department of Health and Family Welfare,” Gupta wrote. “Officers selected through direct recruitment may be appointed at the level of Section Officer or Deputy Secretary, and one additional post at the level of Additional Secretary be created. An IAS or senior KAS officer should be immediately posted to this post,” the letter stated. Staff association terms remarks “demoralising” The Government Secretariat Employees’ Association reacted sharply to Gupta’s remarks, urging Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao to intervene and advise the IAS officer to withdraw the letter “in a dignified manner.” In its response, the association accused Gupta of “making baseless accusations, decreasing the morale of government staff, and disturbing their mental peace.” It argued that by calling for restructuring, the principal secretary had unfairly generalised the incompetence of one officer to the entire department. “When all other department secretaries trust the efficiency of the Secretariat staff, why does only this officer make baseless allegations?” the association asked in its letter. Allegations of overreach and insult The association questioned the principal secretary’s authority to propose structural changes to the department. It contended that such decisions must be taken collectively by the government rather than by an individual officer based on personal assessments. “The principal secretary’s letter amounts to an insult to all employees who have been working diligently,” the association wrote. It also warned of collective protests if Gupta did not retract his statement. Call for better coordination Sources within the Secretariat suggested that Gupta’s letter was intended to improve coordination and address persistent delays in file movement within the health department. However, they acknowledged that the tone and content of the letter may have been perceived as accusatory, prompting resentment among staff. A senior official said, “The health department handles sensitive issues daily, especially in post-pandemic governance. The principal secretary’s intention might have been to streamline efficiency, but the communication style could have been interpreted as criticism.” Health minister yet to comment As of Thursday, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had not publicly commented on the issue. Officials said the minister had received representations from both Gupta and the Secretariat Employees’ Association and was expected to mediate between the two sides to defuse tensions. Administrative challenges in health department The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department, one of the state’s largest and most vital arms, oversees hospitals, public health schemes, and medical education. Over the past few years, the department has faced multiple administrative and staffing bottlenecks, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented pressure on its personnel and systems. Frequent transfers, staff shortages, and procedural delays have been flagged in several internal reviews. Gupta’s letter appears to have been written in response to these concerns, although the choice of words has triggered an unexpected backlash. The standoff highlights the delicate balance between administrative accountability and staff morale in government departments. While Harsh Gupta’s call for restructuring reflects a push for reform and efficiency, the sharp reaction from the Secretariat Employees’ Association underscores growing sensitivities over bureaucratic criticism. The Health Minister’s response in the coming days is expected to determine whether the matter is resolved internally or escalates into a broader dispute within the state’s civil services.
