SRINAGAR: A seemingly minor lapse in judgment has landed a senior IAS officer in trouble, with his recent trip to Kashmir drawing sharp criticism from the Rajasthan administration. Neelabh Saxena, a 2015-batch Indian Administrative Service officer and the current Collector of Karauli district, is now at the centre of controversy over a deviation from his sanctioned leave itinerary.
Saxena, who ranked 12th in the 2014 UPSC Civil Services Examination and has enjoyed an unblemished career record, had applied for leave citing urgent personal reasons to visit his hometown, Lucknow. However, during a recent virtual meeting chaired by Rajasthan Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant, called to assess the worsening heatwave and acute water shortage in Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts, it emerged that Saxena was not in Lucknow but vacationing in Kashmir.
The revelation came as a shock. When Saxena admitted to being in Kashmir during the video conference, the Chief Secretary expressed open displeasure, questioning his administrative sensitivity. “You were granted leave for urgent work in your hometown. Had you informed us about your Kashmir trip earlier, the leave could have been cancelled. People in your district are troubled by heat, lack of electricity and water but you chose to vacation in a cool climate instead,” Sudhansh Pant reportedly said, calling the behaviour irresponsible.
The timing and location of the trip have raised eyebrows, especially as residents of Karauli battle daily power cuts and water shortages under extreme heat conditions. According to senior officials, disciplinary action now seems inevitable.
