Former IAS officer Divya Mittal announces independent political move

Former Indian Administrative Service officer Divya Mittal has announced that she will enter politics independently in Uttar Pradesh, saying she wants to represent people whose concerns go unheard by government offices. She has not specified an electoral plan or said what form her initiative will take, but ruled out joining an existing political party. Mittal, a 2013-batch officer, said she would seek public support and work with people to raise issues affecting ordinary residents. She resigned after nearly 13 years in the civil service. Reports differ on whether she announced her resignation on August 30 or August 31; her resignation was accepted in September, according to one account. She described a school project in a village as an example of the administrative delays she wants to address. Mittal said a woman in a hilly village asked for a school so children could study beyond Class 5. After checking the rules, Mittal said she approved it, but construction had not begun three years later. She attributed the delay to a lack of intent.