Divya Mittal Transfer: Lahuriadah is a hill village in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The village was deprived of basic facilities like water even after 75 years of independence. People here had been dependent on far-flung areas or tankers for water for decades, especially women and children.

The then District Magistrate (DM) of Mirzapur, Divya Mittal understood this problem and took the initiative to deliver piped water to this village under Jal Jeevan Mission. After his efforts and hard work, at the end of August 2023, every house in Lahuriadah village started coming to water from the tap. It was a historic moment for the village, and the villager was considering Divya Mittal as his Messiah.

‘Water worship’ and news of transfer

After the water came, Divya Mittal, along with the villagers, organized a small ‘water puja’ ceremony, which was a symbol of this new beginning. The villagers woke up happily. However, his happiness did not last long. Just three days after the water supply started, on 1 September 2023, the news of the transfer of Divya Mittal came. He was transferred from Mirzapur to Basti district to DM.

Controversy and violation of protocol

A lot of controversy arose over the transfer of Divya Mittal. Local media reports and social media revealed that he was transferred after a complaint of a local BJP leader Vipul Singh. The leader had written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleging that DM did not call the local public representatives (MLA, chairman) in the inauguration program nor gave them any information. He alleged that DM violated the protocol (Violated Protocol).

Apart from this, Mirzapur MP and private secretary of Union Minister Anupriya Patel also wrote a letter, alleging that DM was not applying the work of MP funds for the last 6 months. Some people also alleged that the popularity of Divya Mittal was not appealing to the local politicians, as they had worked directly to the public.

‘Punishment’ of honest work and public fury

There was a huge fury among the general public, especially the villagers of Lahuriadah over the transfer of Divya Mittal. The villagers staged protests and described their transfer as ‘punishment for honest work’. This issue was also very popular on social media, where people raised their voice in support of Divya Mittal.

Divya Mittal, who studied from IIT Delhi and IIM Bengaluru and had left her multinational job in London to join the civil service, also tweeted a passionate after transfer, in which she thanked for the love from Mirzapur.

Post -transfer position

Soon after the transfer of Divya Mittal, the water pipeline reached Lahuriadah village was cut by mischievous elements, which disrupted drinking water supply. This incident shows how administrative decisions and political tussle have a direct impact on the general public.

However, he also stopped transferred for some time later, but he was eventually removed from Mirzapur. Currently, by June 2025, he has been made the District Magistrate of Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh.

The case often highlights the challenges faced by Honest and Public-Tentric Officers in the government system, where often the price of ‘neglect of decades’ has to be paid instead of ‘breaking rules’.