Pondy govt move to appoint SEC despite official already

Even as a retired IAS officer is holding the post of State Election Commissioner (SEC), the Puducherry government here on Tuesday came out with an advertisement to fill the position to conduct civic polls in the union territory, due for nearly 10 years.

Political leaders and MLAs including those belonging to the opposition block were taken aback by the advertisement issued by the Department of Local Administration, calling for applications for the post of SEC.

AIADMK leader A Anbalagan said it was "quite amusing and perplexing" that the Department of Local Administration was going ahead with posting of the SEC through an advertisement even though a retired IAS officer was posted in July last year after a unanimous resolution by the Assembly.

 

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had already said the appointment of SEC was "fait accompli" and neither the Lt Governor nor the Union Home Ministry could intervene and quash the appointment, he told reporters here.

The Chief Minister's stand emerged after Lt Governor Kiran Bedi through her order on December 20 quashed the appointment of T M Balakrishnan as the SEC and described the posting as "illegal, null and void."

Bedi had last month quashed the appointment based on a Home Ministry circular to the Chief Secretary of the territorial government, stating that an SEC could be posted only through a Selection committee headed by the Chief Secretary, triggering a tussle between her and the CM.

As a bolt from the blue, the Local Administration Department,however, released an advertisement in an English daily and some vernacular newspapers in a bid to appoint SEC to conduct the civic polls.

The advertisement has caused a flutter among political leaders and legislators of ruling and opposition blocks here.

On January 3, Chief Minister Narayanasamy had declared as 'null and void' the order of the Lt Governor, annulling appointment of SEC Balakrishnan.

He had said the appointment of SEC was an executive action and removal of the official can only be through a legislative action as stated in Articles 243 K, 243 L and 243 -ZB of the Constitution and also under provisions of the Puducherry Municipalities, Commune and Village Panchayats Act 1973.