The Hindu : National : Show-cause notice to Saptharishi

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005

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National

Show-cause notice to Saptharishi

Special Correspondent

Government accuses senior IAS officer of violating service rules

NEW DELHI: The Government on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to senior IAS officer L.V. Saptharishi asking him to explain his conduct for publicly criticising the two Election Commissioners and the functioning of the Commission.

The notice accused Mr. Saptharishi of violating the Civil Service (Conduct) Rules by attacking the Election Commissioners for their alleged role in countermanding the poll in Chapra Lok Sabha constituency in the last year's elections.

The notice said that Mr. Saptharishi's conduct in writing to Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj and in the entire affair involving the Election Commission was "unbecoming of a civil servant" and that he should explain his conduct.

The West Bengal cadre IAS officer, now Director-General, Council for the Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) under the Rural Development Ministry, met Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

A discussion, sought to be raised by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members, on the controversy relating to the Election Commission was disallowed in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee did not allow the RJD members to raise the issue under Rule 193 as it concerned a constitutional authority. In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat told the RJD members that their notice was not given under proper rules and disallowed it.

Later in the day, Mr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, debunked the claim of the Bharatiya Janata Party that a quid pro quo had been reached with Mr. Saptharishi.

He said there was no proposal to give an extension in service to Mr. Saptharishi, but a resolution was passed on January 19 this year at the executive council meeting, favouring a fixed tenure of three years for CAPART chief and not for any individual.

BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha V.K. Malhotra demanded why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was maintaining silence on the Saptarishi-EC matter. (Dr. Singh has since reacted). While the UPA Government was going for administrative reforms it remained silent on a serving IAS officer writing to the Law Minister against the functioning of the Commission.

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