A tussle of powers is underway in Puducherry between Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and the Congress government over the transfer of a senior civil service official. A delegation of political leaders will soon be meeting President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to apprise them of the political situation in the Union Territory.
The replacement of Municipal Commissioner R Chandrasekaran has triggered a confrontation between the government and Bedi. After Chief Minister V Narayanasamy termed the Assembly Speaker’s ruling over replacing the civic official as “final”, but Bedi termed the transfer invalid. She claimed that an officer who has been appointed by the Lt Governor can only be removed by the same authority.
“The order of transfer of Municipal Commissioner of Puducherry is not a small administrative routine matter. It is of an officer appointed by the Lt Governor who could be removed only by the Lt Governor,” she said.
Stating Business Rules, Bedi said that the Legislature is not empowered to make appointments. She added that the Chief Minister can propose names for transfers and postings but it is the L-G which has the right to make the final decision. She asked the CM and the ministers to approach the Centre or the higher courts if they need any clarification in the matter.
Narayanasamy, in turn, claimed that the decision taken on the replacement of the Municipal Commissioner was final.
The Speaker had ordered replacement of the Commissioner after an opposition AIADMK (Amma) MLA raised a Privilege issue against him.
Since Arvind Kejriwal took over as the Chief Minister, the Delhi government has been at loggerheads with Delhi L-G Najeeb Jung over who has more powers in the national capital.
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