Bhopal Ministers' Personal Staff Under Scrutiny After Deputy CM Jagdish Devda's OSD Deepam Raichura Removed

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Allegations of bribery have led to the removal of Deepam Raichura, an officer on special duty (OSD) to Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, from his position. The Chief Minister's Office initially opposed posting Raichura to Devda's office, but Devda managed to secure the appointment for him. Additionally, Dileep Raj Dwivedi, who continues to work in Devda's office post-retirement, adds to the concerns surrounding the conduct of ministers' personal staff.

A sting operation targeting Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana revealed bribery in transfer cases, resulting in the suspension of Kansana's OSD Ashok Kumar Batham, along with personal assistant Dinesh Bhakoriya and stenographer Ankit Avdhiya. This is not the first instance of controversy involving ministers' personal staff; two OSDs from the previous Congress government were removed in 2020 due to a honeytrap case.

Similarly, OSDs of other ministers have faced scrutiny, including Brajendra Shrivastava, OSD of then-Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, who was featured in a controversial video. Prahlad Singh Patel demonstrated vigilance by removing his personal staff, LP Pathak, following a Lokayukta case. The BJP government in 2023 decided not to appoint any controversial officers or staff to ministers' offices, causing delays in the appointment of personnel.

Despite the controversies surrounding some ministers' personal staff, there is a persistent demand for such positions. Personal secretaries, like Virendra Tiwari of Uday Pratap Singh's office, enjoy significant influence, often driving multiple government vehicles funded by the corporation.