The dust around the appointment of the State Election Commissioner is likely to settle with the Panchayati Raj Minister Chandrashekhar Dubey suggesting to “talk” to Chief Minister Hemant Soren to end the deadlock.
The Panchayati Raj department and the CM have been at loggerheads over the successor to earlier Commissioner SD Sharma who retired in the month of July. “I will talk to the CM in this regard,” said Dubey. Significantly, Dubey indicated that an Indian Administrative Service officer who had either been at the post of Chief Secretary or Development Commissioner could be appointed as the next State Election Commissioner. He ruled out appointment of an Indian Police Service Officer on the post as some talks in this regard have been taking rounds.
“I had forwarded the name of a former Development Commissioner,” pointed out Dubey. Notably, the delay in the appointment was partly due to interpretation of the eligibility criteria which is apparently been addressed by the concerned department. A highly placed source in the Chief Minister’s Office confided that the file is pending with the CM who only needs to put his signature to end the speculation. “We should expect some solution by the end of January,” confided the official.
Incidentally, the State Government dragged its feet over the appointment which highlighted the fissures in the State government. According to reports, while the CMO preferred an Indian Police Service Officer the Panchayati Raj department preferred a retired IAS officer for the coveted post.
Nonetheless, the RD Minister did not mention the time within which the appointment process will be completed. Dubey who has always been forthright about his views on the CM on a host of issues did not hide his differences even over the delay in appointment. “Only he (the CM) knows what is in his mind. But there is no justification as to why he has kept the matter pending,” maintained Dubey. According to Constitutional provisions, vacancy to post of State Election Commissioner should not extend beyond a period of six months from the date of vacancy. The commissioner’s post has been lying vacant since July 2013.