Minister says ‘competition’, IAS officer claims ‘no feud’: What’s brewing in Kerala LSGD?

Thiruvananthapuram: A social media post by Local Self Government Department (LSGD) principal director Divya S Iyer has fuelled speculation about friction among senior IAS officers in the department, a day after the minister said there was healthy competition among them.

“Neither is there a feud, nor is there any competition,” Divya wrote on social media, apparently responding to the minister’s remarks.

The discussion comes amid the announcement of two waste management initiatives by Divya and T V Anupama, the department secretary. Anupama announced a five-year project named ‘Nirmalam’, while Divya unveiled the ‘IC 100 Challenge’. Both are part of the department’s waste management efforts, but the separate announcements have triggered speculation about differences between the two senior officers.

Asked about the issue, Minister K M Shaji maintained there was no feud between the two officers, describing the situation instead as 'healthy competition'.

However, Divya said the officers had carried out their responsibilities in accordance with clear instructions, referring to the two projects. Quoting lines from young poet Aadi, she wrote: “The feud is between big truths and small lies. That is the only feud.”

“I only remember ever being blamed for loving, embracing, and praising human beings. Now, when I hear words like feud, competition, and factionalism, my mind has a firm conviction that this is not me, and it is not about me,” she said.

Divya also called for an end to the speculation, describing it as 'unimaginative propaganda'. “I request that these unimaginative propagandas be brought to an end,” she wrote.