After Suresh Kumar’s ouster by HC, Punjab begins search for new CPS
Sources in the government told The Indian Express that Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Vini Mahajan was being considered for the post.
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Amarinder had visited Kumar at the latter’s Sector 16 residence Sunday in a bid to persuade him to join. But the talks were unfruitful. (File Image)
THE PUNJAB government has started looking for a new chief principal secretary to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, over a fortnight after the Punjab & Haryana High Court set aside the appointment of a retired IAS officer, Suresh Kumar, as his CPS.
Sources in the government told The Indian Express that Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Vini Mahajan was being considered for the post. Kumar, it is learnt, made it clear to the Chief Minister Sunday that he would not be interested in taking up the job since a part of Amarinder’s “coterie” was in favour of his removal and he “did not want to work in this environment”.
Amarinder had visited Kumar at the latter’s Sector 16 residence Sunday in a bid to persuade him to join. But the talks were unfruitful. This was Amarinder’s second visit to Kumar’s house in the past 10 days, sources said. On Saturday, Amarinder had said Kumar would work for the government as long as he (CM) was there. He had also said the government was preparing to challenge the High Court orders before a review bench.
While Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda was assigned by Amarinder to file the challenging petition, it has been 19 days that the government has not moved in this regard. Several party leaders close to the CM are learnt to have impressed on Amarinder to bring an ordinance in the Cabinet and reappoint him (Kumar) as it was not certain that the High Court would stay his dismissal even after the government challenges the earlier order. But nothing has been done in this connection.
Sources also said the government wanted Kumar also to defend his appointment in court as in its dismissal orders the HC had categorically observed that he did not defend it – It was the state government that tried to justify his appointment.
Kumar, it is learnt, is not willing to file a petition to defend himself. When his appointment was challenged in the High Court, he had written to the CM that if the onus of defending his case was on him, his letter should be considered his resignation.
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