In an important development, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) of the Centre has cancelled the reappointment of Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma by the Harish Rawat Government. The State Government had reappointed him as the Chief Secretary upon his retirement on October 31 as the DoPT was not responding to the State's request for an extension of his services.
The DoPT said that the rule 9 under which the reappointment of CS was done by the State, is applicable if the State does not have any suitable officer. But now things are different as the State has two eligible officers - Shatrughan Singh and S Raju - who are competent to replace the incumbent Chief Secretary.
Reacting to the latest development, the CM said on Wednesday the State Government is against stirring up any controversy with the Centre.
Sources privy to the Chief Minister's office said that the State Government is not going to relieve Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma currently or in the near future. "He might be given other postings like Cabinet Secretary," sources said, adding that the State Government would find an amicable solution to the tangle.
Now, the question is: If the DoPT's order is accepted by the State Government all the decisions taken by Sharma as Chief Secretary following the reappointment might be challenged in the court. The State Government says that the tangle would not have arisen had the DoPT informed the former of its decision in the matter promptly. "The State Government requested the DoPT to give six months' extension to Sharma way back in September.
They kept on exercising stony silence. Now when the CS has been re-appointed for three months the DoPT has issued the order rescinding the order of the State Government," sources said.
Rawat said that the re-appointment was an imperative in view of the presentation of the supplementary budget slated on November 2. "However, the impasse would be resolved as the State Government is against picking up quarrel with the Centre on such sensitive issues," he added.