The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reportedly transferred Chief Secretary of Puducherry Chetan Bhushan Sanghi, who is yet to complete one year of service in Puducherry.
A highly-placed source told The Hindu that the MHA had already begun the process of his transfer. The order is likely to be sent very soon.
On information, Mr. Sanghi, who went to New Delhi on Tuesday, met the senior officials of Ministry of Home Affairs. He also attended a conference of Chief Secretaries and Directors-General of Police of States and Union Territories convened by the Election Commission in New Delhi on Thursday along with Puducherry Director-General of Police P. Kamaraj.
When asked about the reported news of his transfer, Mr. Sanghi told The Hindu that he had also received some inputs about the “speculation.” But, he had not received any order to that effect so far.
What he could say at the moment that he had attended the Election Commission conference in his capacity as Chief Secretary of Puducherry and presented report about the preparedness of the Union Territory of Puducherry to conduct the Parliamentary elections. He informed the Commission that the territorial administration was prepared for providing security and other arrangements required for conducting the Lok Sabha elections. Steps were taken for 100 per cent voters’ participation and webcasting from police stations. He had also told the Commission that the process of transferring officials, who had completed three years of service in a place and those holding additional charges, would be completed within 2 days. Mr. Sanghi, a senior IAS officer of 1988 batch, was posted as Chief Secretary of Puducherry in May 2013 when the relationship between the MHA and the Union Territory was very low following the controversy over transfer of the then Finance Secretary, Raajiv Yaduvanshi, to Commerce and Industry. It had culminated in the transfer of then Chief Secretary M. Sathiyavathy to Mizoram by the MHA. Mr. Sanghi took charge at a time when the territorial administration was facing severe financial crisis.
The news of his transfer has raised eyebrows among officials and political circles, who are preparing for the Lok Sabha elections.
