Monday, November 14, 2011

India: Supreme Court quizzes chief minister Mayawati on creating cabinet secretary post for pilot

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati is going to have to work hard to defend her decision of appointing Shashank Shekhar Singh as the cabinet secretary even though he is a pilot by profession and isn't even remotely connected to the bureaucracy.

Singh was initially appointed as a pilot in the state’s aviation fleet in 1979 and was promoted as Director of state Civil Aviation in 1982.

Questioning Singh’s appointment as Uttar Pradesh Cabinet secretary, the Supreme Court on Monday asked Mayawati government as to how and why a non IAS or a state administrative service official has been elevated to this coveted post.

There must be certain rules and regulations for such crucial postings, judges remarked and asked the state how it came to such a decision. “How can you pick up someone and appoint him to such a post? There have to be rules and regulations,” a Bench of Justices BS Chauhan and TS Thakur said.

"People like Sam Pitroda, who are an expert in the technical field, are appointed as adviser but for posts like that of Cabinet secretary, there have to be proper procedures", they added.

"If someone is an expert in a field like computer and has done exceptionally, like Sam Pitroda, he can be appointed as adviser but for these posts (Cabinet secretary etc), there have to be rules and regulations,” a concerned bench said.

While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a resident of UP, Harish Chandra Pandey, the court had earlier sought replies from the state and centre government. Pandey has challenged Singh's appointment and has sought his removal on the ground that he is not an IAS officer.

http://www.dnaindia.com

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