HYDERABAD: A day after Andhra Pradesh Information Commission secretary SE Sekhar Babu, IAS, had received approval from the government for his voluntary retirement on February 29, two months ahead of superannuation, work was as usual at the commission on Tuesday.
According to sources, since the secretary was not involved in decisionmaking or in appellate cases, his absence barely makes any difference to the main purpose of the commission: handling appellate cases.
Senior officers in the commission questioned some news reports that Babu had resigned as he found some of the eight selected information commissioners (ICs) were not fit for the job.
“It is not his responsibility to worry about the new appointments”, they said, knowing that some new appointments would be made within a few weeks itself.
Such situations, they said, have arisen in the past, during which present law secretary Mohan Krishnaiah, doubled up as APIC secretary till a suitable replacement was found.
RTI activist CJ Karira agreed that Babu was not an active member and was maybe looking forward to being appointed as an IC for the next five years, which did not happen.
“He joined two months late after his appointment in June last year since he was not pleased with the posting which he considered below his ranking as an IAS officer.
With eight ICs set to join soon, he would have to arrange for their accommodation, travel, etc - tasks the secretary has to coordinate.”