Haryana babu who took on Bhupinder Singh Hooda govt alleges threat from state's chief secretary

CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: Haryana's IAS officer Pradeep Kasni, who had raised objections to appointment of new information commissioners by the Hooda govt, has accused the state chief secretary of threatening him.
Kasni, who is secretary, administrative reforms, on Tuesday alleged he got threat SMSs from chief secretary SC Choudhary over his stand on the appointment of new commissioners.

However, the chief secretary has denied the allegations and has claimed he was only congratulating the officer, according to Times Now.

Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday hurriedly administrated the oath of office to two information commissioners and three commissioners of the Right to Service Commission despite the fact that they had not been given appointment letters by Kasni.

The oath was administered at the chief minister's residence by Hooda himself. Traditionally, the governor administers oath to commissioners at Raj Bhawan.

Outgoing governor Jagannath Pahadia had authorized Hooda to administer the oath just a day before his retirement on Saturday.

Sources say that the process was completed hurriedly to avoid objections by new governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who took charge on Sunday.

Pradeep Kasni, in his note to Hooda, hinted at irregularities in the appointments citing cuttings and overwriting on the file sent to the governor.

Documents available with TOI show that Kasni did not issue appointment letters because all the three recommended as the state information commissioners were holding office of profit on the date of meeting of the statutory committee.

The opposition alleged that the appointments were made flouting the rules and procedures, but state chief secretary maintained that there was no illegality in the appointments and in administering the oath to them.

He made it clear that all officers who have been administered oath of office were either retirees or had taken voluntary retirement prior to joining their new assignment.

The two members of SIC who were administered oath by Hooda include Shiv Raman Gaur, a retired IAS officer of Haryana cadre, who has been re-employed by the state government as adviser (Health) and RekhaRani, a government school teacher and wife of Hooda's political adviser Prof Virender Singh.

Those who have been administered oath as commissioners in Right to Service Commission, include Sarban Singh, Dr Amar Singh and Sunil Katyal.

Dr Amar Singh, who was an excise and taxation department officer, is husband of a judge in Punjab and Haryana high court here while Sarban Singh, an IAS officer, took voluntary retirement shortly before the swearing in. Katyal was posted in the Haryana's advocate general's office.

(With inputs from PTI)