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| Kundal’s fate not known, guess work takes over | | Speaker Tara Chand denies ‘spoilsport’ hand; bureaucracy remains headless | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | June 4
For third consecutive day there is no word from Chief Minister’s office to Raj Bhawan on induction of outgoing Chief Secretary BR Kundal as Minister. With the controversy deepening, two questions are taking rounds in political bureaucratic circles –who stalled Kundal’s induction and who will be the next Chief Secretary.
As the guess work takes rounds of the power corridors on possible reasons leading to stalling of Kundal’s cabinet induction, one finger was raised towards Legislative Assembly Speaker Tara Chand which has been vehemently denied.
After a section of press named the Speaker for opposing the move, Tara Chand today described dragging his name in the issue of Mr. Kundal's induction in the Cabinet as unfortunate. He said that the post of Speaker is apolitical and should not be dragged into controversies.
Reacting on press reports to this regard, he said that the reports are not based on facts and he has not expressed any reservation regarding this decision. As a disciplined party worker, he said that he would abide by all the decisions taken by the Chief Minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad and the party high command.
Though the government sources had claimed that since Kundal’s premature retirement formalities could not finalized which led to delay in his induction in Cabinet, the state remains without a Chief Secretary. Kundal on Saturday last had publicly announced his resignation and loyalties with a particular political party –Congress –therefore morally he ceases to be the Chief Secretary. The new incumbent has not been named.
The outgoing Chief Secretary BR Kundal, who is awaiting green signal from the chief minister to join him in his cabinet is not attending office of the chief secretary after submitting his application for pre mature retirement.
In his absence no other officer has been designated by the state government to look after the routine work.
Large number of files forwarded to the office of the chief secretary has been awaiting formal approval before being sent back to their respective departments.
Though the name of Financial Commissioner Home SS Kapur and one his juniors SL Bhatt is round the rounds of the corridors of power but in the absence of formal announcement the routine work has become a casualty in a state whose chief minister never forget to highlight work culture under his regime.
Ironcially, the smooth switch over expected by the Kundal and t he Azad himself could not take place at the eleventh hour plunging the state government and the bureaucratic circles in to a state of uncertainty.
Due to uncertainty at the highest level the lower rung in the state administration is enjoying relatively slow pace of work not bothered to deliver at the set deadlines.
Over all pace of work has been affected adversely by the striking employees of the clerical association.The scene in the civil secretariat also reminded good old days of Governors rule when very little activity was seen in the civil secretariat in the absence of political class in the secretariat building.Same is the case today, barring few junior ministers no senior minister is available in his office in the secretariat as majority of them are either moving out in the filed or attending public or foundation stone ceremonies in rural pockets. No one is certain when this present round of uncertainty will end and life will return to normalcy triggering pace of developmental work. |
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