The Union Home Ministry has declared null and void the Union Territory administration's decision to shift Raajiv Yadhuvanshi who was holding the post of Secretary to the Finance and Planning departments, official sources said.
He was replaced by W V R Murthy, who continues to hold the Department of Tourism Secretary post also. Even as Yadhuvanshi has been shifted as Secretary of Industries and Commerce.
The All India NR Congress government of N Rangasamy issued an order in this regard through the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on January 10 and blamed Yadhuvanshi for the delay in implementing the government schemes.
Taken by surprise over the development, Yadhuvanshi came out with a circular on January 11 stating that the order of Puducherry government shunting him out of Finance and Planning departments had been held as "null and void" by the Union Home Ministry and that he had been directed to function as Secretary to Finance and Planning till further orders.
The territorial government, however, has taken the stand that its order appointing Murthy as the Finance Secretary prevails, with the unseemly controversy raising eyebrows among various departments and other stakeholders.
Official circles claimed that the Union Home Ministry can only place at the disposal of the IAS officers from out of the AGMU cadre to Puducherry government. The allocation of subjects is within the domain of the territorial government and that there was no scope for the Home Ministry to effect allocation or shuffling of departments among the officials.
Murthy has started dealing with the files relating to Finance Department armed with the order of the Puducherry government assigning him the new post.
Opposition AIADMK leader A Anbalagan has charged the Chief Minister with confounding the situation without clarifying and clearing the air. He wanted to know whether Puducherry administration was bound by the Home Ministry's directives and can act differently.
