The undue haste shown by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in administering oath of office to two commissioners of the State information commission and three to Right to Service
Commission at his residence on Sunday has come under scrutiny. Senior IAS officer Pradeep Kasni left the Hooda Government embarrassed by raising objections against the appointments. He red-flagged the appointments saying some of the appointees were holding office of profit under the Haryana Government and also some were not qualified enough. He also raised questions about the procedure followed in making the appointments.
However, Chief Secretary SC Chaudhary on Monday said that all the appointments of the commissioners made by the State Government were legal. Terming Kasni’s objections as “misleading, baseless and far from facts”, he claimed that all members had fulfilled requisite qualifications and no one was holding any office of profit during the appointment. He said that the Governor, who is the appointing authority, had authorised the CM to administer oath to the newly-selected members.
On Sunday, former bureaucrat and Hooda confidant Shiv Raman Gaur and Rekha, wife of Hooda’s political advisor Varinder, were administered oath of office by Hooda.