VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha, who is due to retire next month, seems to have landed in trouble at the fag-end of his service as he reportedly came under fire from the Chief Election Commission (CEC) for defying its order to transfer three IPS officers, including State Intelligence chief AB Venkateswara Rao. Punetha was reportedly summoned by the CEC on Monday to explain the circumstances that led him to override its order.
It is learnt that the CEC pulled up the Chief Secretary for disobeying the directions of the EC and sought his explanation and the circumstances that prompted him to issue a GO nullifying its orders. What exactly transpired in the meeting, however, was not known. The CS was not available for his comments as efforts to reach him on phone went in vain.
On the night of March 26, the CS issued a GO (716) transferring Intelligence DG Venkateswara Rao and SPs of Srikakulam and Kadapa districts following the directions of the CEC. However, the very next day, two different GOs (720 and 721) were issued in the name of the CS.
The GO 720 was issued cancelling the GO 716 and notifying only the transfers of SPs of Srikakulam and Kadapa districts. And in the GO 721, the CS enclosed the list of police officers to be designated for election-related duties. In the list, officers from the Director General of Police to police constable were designated for poll duties but the Intelligence DG was exempted.
In the GO 721, the CS also cited a letter from the DGP to him the previous day (after issuing the orders transferring all the three IPS officers) based on which the order was issued.
Venkateswara Rao applies for leave
After the government notified his transfer relieving him from the post of Intelligence chief and directed him to report to the Head Office, AB Venkateswara Rao is reported to have applied for two months’ leave