The Hindu : Karnataka News : Transfer unjustified, says Mahishi

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Karnataka

Karnataka

Transfer unjustified, says Mahishi

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The former Chief Secretary, P.B. Mahishi, (1972 batch) has challenged before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) the appointment of Sudhakar Rao (1973 batch) as Chief Secretary. In his petition, Mr. Mahishi said his transfer was unwarranted and unjustified, and that he had been transferred in a “whimsical and capricious exercise of public power.”

Mr. Mahishi said the appointment order issued on February 6 should be quashed as it was “arbitrary, illegal and void” and that the State Government should be directed to restore him the position of Chief Secretary.

The petition, which has been filed by advocate N.B. Bhat (a former IPS officer), said that the purpose of displacing him “is to make room for Mr. Sudhakar Rao and to confer on him an undue favour of appointment to the highest position in the State’s bureaucracy. This belief is confirmed by the fact that Mr. Sudhakar Rao is appointed to the post by overlooking the claims of his three seniors. The impugned order is not made in bona fide exercise of power.”

Status

With reference to his transfer as chairman of KPCL, Mr. Mahishi said that although the Chief Secretary and all officers in the grade of Additional Chief Secretary are in the same pay scale, the status of the Chief Secretary was unarguably higher.

All other posts in the State’s administration were lower in status and they had in them an element of insubordination to the Chief Secretary. Therefore, the chairmanship of the KPCL is lower, as it too had an element of insubordination to the Chief Secretary.

The petition has been admitted and posted for hearing on March 6.

Senior IAS officer, Neeraja Rajkumar, who has also been shunted out from the State Secretariat and appointed chairperson, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation, is also stated to be planning to challenge the appointment.

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