Official appointments not based on caste basis: UP govt

Lucknow, Apr 1 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government today stated that the appointment of officials in the state was never considered on a caste or communal basis, as being recently alleged by a section of Muslim clerics.

In a statement here, the state government clarified that some vested forces were trying to raise the issue of non-appointment of Muslims as the District Magistrates.

''There is a dearth of Muslim IAS officers for the post of DM and we have only one such officer, Mohammad Mustafa who is posted as vice-chairman Kanpur Development Authority,'' it said.

Besides, Mr Mustafa does not want to be posted as DM anywhere, as he would be going on soon foreign training, the statement said, adding another Muslim officer Kamran Rizvi was holding an important position of cane commissioner in the state.

''The government is working on the ideology of Sarva Samaj and, hence, not biased on any caste or community...the allegations are merely to defame the government,'' the statement further added.

The issue on the neglegiance of muslim officers started in the state after senior IAS officer Anis Ansari wrote to the government of conspiracy against him by some vested forces after he was removed from the post of APC, following holding of a fashion show at his official residence on March 19.

Some muslim cleric had yesterday raised the issue and they blamed the state government for its biased attitude against the bureaucrats of the community.

UNI MB ATI LPB HT1940