In a sudden development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has shunted Chief Secretary of Puducherry M. Sathiavathy to Mizoram.
The transfer order came a day before the start of the 2nd conference of All India N. R Congress, where the Chief Minister N. Rangasamy is expected to break his silence over the “innumerable troubles” his erstwhile colleagues from the Congress gave him during the last two years of his rule.
One-line order
The single line order dated 18.02.2013 issued by the MHA (a copy of which is available with The Hindu ) said that she has been transferred to Mizoram with immediate effect.
It has asked the Lieutenant Governor’s office to take steps to relieve her immediately.
The order signed by Manas Mandal, Section Officer, MHA, has been sent to Ms. Sathiavathy, LG’s office and the Chief Secretary of Mizoram. However, there was no mention about her posting there.
The order was also silent about the reason for the sudden transfer. Similarly, there was no information about the new Chief Secretary for Puducherry.
Analysts felt that the unceremonious transfer of Ms. Sathiavathy, a 1982 AGMU cadre IAS Officer, was a fallout of the controversy over the transfer of Development Commissioner Rajiv Yaduvanshi from Finance to Commerce & Industries.
This was promptly declared illegal by the MHA stating that the Puducherry Government didn’t follow the business rules while transferring the super timescale officer.
Sources said the MHA, which directly controls the Union Territories, transferred her as she failed to comply with the direction on reinstating Mr. Yaduvanshi in spite of reminders and a one on one telephonic interaction.
The issue came out in open when Mr. Yaduvanshi was called to attend a meeting in New Delhi recently in his capacity as the Finance Secretary of Puducherry, signalling that the Centre will not recognise the appointment of W.V.R. Murthy as Finance Secretary.
‘Erroneous’
Sources in Puducherry Government said it was erroneous on the part of the Centre to dictate to the elected government on transferring an official citing business rules framed about 50 years ago.
Had the Centre felt unhappy over the appointment it could have asked the administration not to repeat the mistake.
A source close to Mr. Rangasamy said that he was being victimised as he was not falling in line with the “diktats” of the Congress on merging the AINRC with the parent party. Had it been a Congress rule, the issue wouldn’t have been raised at all.
