Bhatia has been asked to hand over charge to Girish Pradhan, Director, Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration. Bhatia will replace Pradhan. This is Bhatia's 24th transfer after he joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1967.

Bhatia, who till recently was Pune Divisional Commissioner, was shifted to the Pune Municipal Corporation on March 8 after he charged the Chief Secretary with being inefficient and lethargic.

However, Bhatia exercised his quasi-judicial powers to demolish illegal structures and restaurants owned, among others, by former chief minister Manohar Joshi's son-in-law, the family of Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Kalmadi and a popular discotheque at the Holiday Inn. The demolitions had earned Bhatia applause from the public and organisations working for the development of the city.

However, Kalmadi reportedlycomplained to Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who obliged him with the transfer.

For administrative reasons, Bhatia has been denied the rank of Principal Secretary, though officials who are five batches junior to him have already been promoted as Principal Secretary.

The manner in which the Government buckled under pressure was there for all to see this morning, when, sidestepping all norms, two local police officers were sent with the transfer order to Bhatia's residence.

Pradhan was asked to take immediate charge even though the office of the municipal corporation was closed, it being a second Saturday.

After receiving a fax message from the Chief Secretary early this morning, Pradhan contacted Bhatia over the telephone. An upset Bhatia refused to go to office and hand over charge. He told Pradhan he would come to office only on Monday.

Pradhan then called Additional Municipal Commissioner Deepak Kapoor and asked him to come to office. In Bhatia's absence, Pradhan took charge of his newresponsibility. A visibly distraught Bhatia refused to comment on his transfer, simply saying service rules did not allow him to do so.

Bhatia's 7-day run