NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, JAN 14
The Privileges Committee of the Puducherry assembly on Tuesday initiated privilege proceedings against officials responsible for floating an advertisement inviting applications for the recruitment of State Election Commissioner (SEC) overruling a resolution of the state Assembly.
The Committee was chaired by Deputy Speaker M.N. R. Balan, as a first move questioned Under Secretary, Local Administration Department, Giddi Balaram, under whose name the advertisement appeared in newspapers on January 7. The under secretary was grilled by the committee for more than half an hour at the Legislative Assembly.
Balaram had reportedly informed the Committee that the advertisement was issued under instructions from his superiors. On the basis of his information, the Committee had also decided to summon Director of Local Administration Department, G. Malar Kannan.
The government had appointed former bureaucrat T. M Balakrishnan, last year, as SEC after Speaker V. P Sivakolundhu gave a ruling bestowing power to appoint the election officer with the elected government.
The Speaker, while giving his ruling, had also cancelled a similar advertisement floated allegedly at the behest of Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi for the SEC post.
Challenging the appointment made by the government, the Lt Governor referred the subject to Union Ministry of Home Affairs which in turn directed the Chief Secretary to again start the selection process. The government was of the view that the advertisement issued early this month was a breach of privilege and hence decided to start proceedings against officials.
