Political parties here on Friday opposed the reported move to transfer Chief Secretary (CS) Chetan B Sanghi until the process of general election was completed.
The leaders of opposition AIADMK and ruling All India NR Congress met the Chief Electoral Officer, T Sreekanth here and raised the issue of transfer of the CS and the move to effect it when the model code is in effect.
CEO Sreekanth told Express that the representations submitted by the political parties will be forwarded to the Election Commission of India as it was the authority to take decision on such issues.
The AIADMK Puducherry unit secretary A Anbazhagan, in a representation to the Election Commission of India stated, “The government at the Centre is trying to transfer the Chief Secretary for political reasons even after the model code of conduct had came into force. This is against the basic principles of code of the Election Commission.”
He requested the Election Commission of India not to effect any such changes at the level of Chief Secretary until the process of general election is completed.
The All India NR Congress general secretary V Bhalan told Express that he had also met the CEO and raised the issue of CS transfer with him and citing the model code, urged him not to effect the transfer.
Bhalan said the AINRC would submit an official representation with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the MHA decision.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) transferred Chief Secretary Chetan B Sanghi a few days ago and a panel of names has been sent to Chief Minster N Rangasamy, who may take time to inform his preference.
For the time being, all eyes will be on the ECI, which will have to decide on the matter as the model code was in existence.
It might be interesting to note that the MHA had pinpointed Chetan Sanghi to replace former CS, Sathiyavathy. The appointment of Sanghi came more than two months after the transfer of M Sathiyavathy to Mizoram. She was transferred reportedly due to the impasse between the Central government and Puducherry administration over the controversial transfer of senior IAS officer Raajiv Yaduvanshi from finance portfolio to commerce and industry at the insistence of Chief Minister, who openly criticised Yaduvanshi at the All India NR Congress conference for refusing to transfer funds from the Thirunallar Temple Development Fund to other welfare programmes.