Another IAS officer quits: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan chief Vijaylakshmi Joshi takes VRS

New Delhi, Sept 3: Two days after former home secretary LC Goyal quit his job, another key bureaucrat Vijaylakshmi Joshi has taken voluntary retirement three years ahead of retirement.

Vijaylakshmi Joshi, the Gujarat cadre officer from the 1980 batch, was part of PM Narendra Modi's ambitious programme ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', which is yet to complete its first year.

Joshi was working as the secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, entrusted with the responsibility of 'Clean India Mission', which was kicked off on October 2, last year.

As per an Economic Times report, Union Minister Birender Singh has forwarded her resignation to the Cabinet Secretariat.

When contacted, a ministry spokesperson told ET, "Mrs Joshi has no comment to offer on the issue."

Joshi, secretary in the panchayati raj ministry, was shifted to the sanitation ministry weeks ahead of the launch of the cleanliness drive. Her central deputation began in 2011 when she joined the commerce ministry as joint secretary.

Joshi's VRS has given an opportunity to rival Congress and AAP who are attacking the Centre for forcing the bureaucrats to retire early.

AAP leader Ashutosh has slammed the government, saying the entire bureaucracy was being cleaned.

"Another senior IAS. Another VRS. Now Vijay Luxmi Joshi. What is happening(sic)? With this speed will there be any IAS officer left in Govt?" he wrote on Twitter.

OneIndia News