Secretary to Lt Governor summoned by Privilege Committee

Deputy Speaker of Assembly and Chairman of the Committee on Privileges V P Sivakolundhu today issued summons to the Secretary to Lt Governor Theva Neethi Dhas to appear before it tomorrow for contempt of the Assembly.
The committee asked him to explain why he should not be charged for contempt of the House by abetting R Chandrasekaran to function as Commissioner of Puducherry Municipality violating the ruling of the Speaker on the floor of the House on March 30.
The summons stated that theSpeaker had in a note to the Committee on April 3 for perusal and to decide the contempt of the House.

Meanwhile, senior civil service Officer R Chandrasekaran, who was replaced and placed under compulsory wait by a ruling of assembly Speaker V Vaithilingam on March 30, today appeared before the Privilege Committee.
He was summoned by the Committee in the wake of a complaint filed before the Committee by an opposition MLA and few others.
Chandrasekaran resumed office of the Commissioner of Puducherry Municipality yesterday though he was placed under compulsory wait after he was replaced by a ruling of the Speaker.

The committee had served him the summons on the ground that he had committed contempt of the House by resuming office against the ruling of the Speaker.

He was replaced through an order of the Chief Secretary within hours of the Speaker giving the ruling in the wake of complaints made against him by legislators of both the ruling and opposition block on the floor of the House on March 30.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister K Lakshminarayanan who is one of the members of the Privilege Committee told newsmen at the end of nearly thirty minute proceedings, Chandrasekaran was handed copies of complaints the committee had received.
Chandrasekaran was given time till April 11 to submit his replies.
While keeping him under compulsory wait the Chief Secretary in his order had assigned the post of Municipal Commissioner to Director of Art and Culture.