PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Speaker R Selvam has taken chief secretary Rajiv Verma to task by complaining to the central government regarding Verma’s failure to respond to a show cause notice issued by the assembly secretariat.
The show cause notice in question was issued to address concerns related to the reallocation of subjects previously held by finance secretary P Jawahar to another secretary without the knowledge of the chief minister. This reallocation was intended to enable Jawahar to serve as the full-time chief electoral officer. The notice also sought an explanation regarding the delay in implementing several critical schemes and projects, including the construction of a new assembly complex.
The speaker had initiated discussions between ministers, MLAs and Verma. Following the meeting, a formal show cause notice was issued, granting Verma 15 days to respond. However, the latter, in an unexpected turn of events, left for Delhi.
CM N Rangasamy had previously lodged complaints with the home ministry, seeking a transfer of the chief secretary. The complaints were based on concerns regarding the delay in the implementation of various schemes and projects.
The issue appears to be part of a larger pattern of discord between the Rangasamy government and chief secretaries, with Verma having replaced Ashwani Kumar, at the government’s request.