VIJAYAWADA: Close on the heels of issuing censure proceedings against Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi and PR Commissioner M Girija Shankar, State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar yet again wrote a letter to Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das on Friday, asking him to transfer another senior IAS officer Praveen Prakash, currently working as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister.
In the letter to the CS, he invoked his plenary power under Article 246 (read with Article 324) of the Constitution to transfer Praveen Prakash with a view to ensure free and fair panchayat elections. Praveen Prakash is banned during the course of election to have interaction with district collectors and superintendents of police and any officer directly or indirectly dealing with election related matters, he said.
The SEC held Praveen Prakash responsible for the failure of the State administration to receive nominations from contestants for the first phase of panchayat elections on January 25 as he seemed to have instructed Collectors and SPs not to participate in the SEC meetings as the Principal Secretary of the General Administration (Polls) Department. Refuting the charges levelled against him by the SEC, Praveen Prakash wrote a letter to the CS,
The SEC also shot off a letter to Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan complaining that MP V Vijayasai Reddy has violated the Model Code of Conduct, and sought action against Government Advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana and Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy for their alleged adverse comments against him. He stated that Sajjala cannot hold party brief and indulge in political activity to attack a constitutional authority.
He found fault with the TDP chief for deceiving the people with false election promises. Although provision of 100 square yard houses to people and reduction of property tax do not come under the panchayat jurisdiction, Naidu promised to implement them in his election manifesto, he said.
Meanwhile, YSRC national general secretary V Vijayasai Reddy lambasted SEC Ramesh Kumar for making complaints against him and officials. He said Ramesh Kumar had become a puppet in the hands of Naidu. The YSRC Rajya Sabha member questioned what action was taken against the TDP chief for violating the Model Code of Conduct by releasing the party election manifesto for panchayat polls.
Vijayasai Reddy also found fault with the SEC for approaching courts for every small issue and questioned the sanity of Ramesh Kumar.
Kanna Babu posted as Secretary of SEC
K Kanna Babu, a 2006 batch IAS officer, has been appointed Secretary of the SEC. The State government issued an order to this effect on Friday. He is one among the three IAS officers suggested by the government to the SEC for the secretary post
1,315 file nominations for sarpanch posts
As many as 1,315 nominations were filed for sarpanch posts in the State on Friday. The highest number of 248 papers were filed in East Godavari district. For the posts of ward members, 2,200 papers were filed on the first day of nominations for phase I polls
No need of Central staff for panchayat polls: SEC
SEC N Ramesh Kumar on Friday said that there is no need for deployment of Central staff for panchayat elections. “I have complete trust in the State government staff. I am confident that they are enough to hold polls smoothly,” the SEC said.