Govt ad for post of Puducherry SEC causes flutter; Minister

The tussle between Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and the Congress government over appointment of state election commissioner (SEC) took a new turn on Tuesday with the Local Administration department issuing an advertisement for the post and the Minister concerned pleading ignorance about it.

The advertisement calling for applications to the SEC post was released in an English daily and some vernacular newspapers here days after Chief Minister V Narayanasamy issued an order declaring "null and void" the December 20 communication of Bedi annulling the appointment of retired IAS officer T M Balakrishnan as the SEC in July last.

As political leaders and MLAs, including those belonging to opposition block, were taken aback by the sudden development, Local Administration Minister A Namassivayam said he was not consulted and it was "really perplexing" that his department has come out with the advertisement.

"I was not consulted at any stage by the department before releasing the advertisement," he told PTI when contacted.

Triggering a tussle between her and the government, Bedi had last month quashed the SEC's appointment based on a Union Home Ministry circular which stated it can be made only through a Selection committee headed by the Chief Secretary.

Hitting back, Narayanasamy, in his January 3 order, said the appointment of SEC was an executive action and the removal of the official can only be through a legislative action as stated in Articles 243 K, 243 L and 243-ZB of the Constitution and also under provisions of the Puducherry Municipalities, Commune and Village Panchayats Act 1973.

Namasivayam maintained Balakrishnan was 'unanimously' selected by the assembly and appointed through a special resolution in July last year to the post of SEC and he had assumed office.

The Minister said he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister soon and go through the issue legally in the light of the provisions contained in the Constitution and also in the relevantlegislation relating to the local bodies.

"None can intervene and quash the arrangement already made," he added.

AIADMK leader A Anbalagan said it was "quite amusing and perplexing" that the Department of Local Administration was going ahead with recruitment of the SEC through an advertisement even though an official was already holding the post.