ECI removes 6 Home Secretaries, focus on Haryana’s appointments

With the announcement of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in the state and a major development has surfaced after the
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the removal of home secretaries in six states on Monday, namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on Monday. Additionally, the ECI has removed Rajiv Kumar from the post of director general of police (DGP) of West Bengal due to prior removal from active election management duties during the 2016 Assembly Election and 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Apart from aforesaid, the secretaries of the general administrative department in Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram have also been relieved of their duties. Besides, the ECI is believed to come up with such steps to uphold the principles of free, fair and transparent elections. In this series, everyone is eyeing the much awaited regular posting of the Home Secretary in Haryana as the state is seeking the regular posting of the Home Secretary since August 2019 after the retirement of the former IAS SS Prasad, the Home Secretary then.

Senior IAS TSVN Prasad, currently an IAS officer whose principal charge is Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue is holding dual additional charge(s) of both State Home Secretary as well as State Chief Secretary and pertaining to the same a letter has been written addressing Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner along with Election Commissioners including Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu seeking the regular postings of the Chief Secretary and Home secretary as well. A new development has been witnessed into the matter Hemant Kumar, an expert and lawyer at Punjab and Haryana high court, who has written a letter to the ECI, has received a auto generated message as reaction to aforementioned letter from the office of the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer. Hemant Kumar said that he is seeking Election Commission of India urgent intervention for ensuring posting of a regular Chief Secretary as well as Home Secretary in State Government of Haryana during entire exercise/process of General Election to 18th Lok Sabha.

It is pertinent to mention what letter contains is that Hemant Kumar, a Citizen of India, a Bonafide resident of State of Haryana & an Advocate at Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh hereby, vide concerned email communication, humbly requests for Election Commission of India (ECI) urgent intervention by wisely directing the State Government of Haryana to post regular Chief Secretary and regular Home Secretary in the State Government. Pertinent that till Friday 15 March 2024, Sanjeev Kaushal, an IAS of 1986 batch was posted as Chief Secretary, Haryana but consequent upon his proceeding on leave, the State Government of Haryana vide Order bearing No. 1/42/2024-1SII dated 15 March 2024 delegated the additional charge of Chief Secretary to Government, Haryana, General Administration, Human Resources, Personnel and Training, Parliamentary Affairs and Vigilance to TV.SN Prasad, an IAS of 1988 batch whose principal charge is Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Disaster Management and Consolidation Department and his already delegated first additional charge is Chief Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi and further second delegated additional charge is Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Jails, Criminal Investigation and Administration of Justice. Further, the letter mentioned that now with delegation of third additional charge of State Chief Secretary to TVSNPrasad, both the two key responsibilities i.e.

State Chief Secretary as well as State Home Secretary would vest in the same IAS officer as mentioned hereinbefore and moreover as an additional charge which is not wise and appreciable especially during the entire exercise/process of General Election to 18th Lok Sabha. It is noteworthy that Sanjeev Kaushal, IAS of 1986 batch who was posted as Chief Secretary since Dec, 2021 proceeding on leave for reasons best known to the State Government but which are yet to be put in public domain.