Haryana transfers whislteblowing administrative reforms head Pradeep Kasni
06 Aug 2014
The Haryana government on Tuesday shifted out 1997-batch IAS officer Pradeep Kasni from the post of secretary, administrative reforms.
Kasni had recently raised objections to the appointment of two state information commissioners and three Haryana Right to Service commissioners on the grounds of their eligibility. The officer had also alleged that he was being shadowed by the state police.
It was expected that Kasni would be booted out from administrative reforms after Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki sought comments on these appointments.
The administrative reforms department deals with the appointments made to the state information commission and the Haryana Right to Service commission. The governor is the appointing authority for these statutory posts.
Since the comments would have to be prepared by the administrative reforms department, it would have been inconvenient for the state government to keep Kasni posted as secretary, administrative reforms.
In his file noting as secretary, Kasni had written that no letters of appointment could be issued as the persons recommended as SICs were holding office of profit on the date of the meeting of the statutory committee.
In the case of the proposed Right to Service commissioners, Lt General Virender Singh Tonk (retd) is neither a retired officer of the Haryana state nor recommended by the search committee, Sarban Singh is a serving IAS officer, Amar Singh who retired as joint excise and taxation commissioner is equivalent to a deputy secretary in the state government and Sunil Katyal is a serving deputy advocate general which is an office of profit.
Thus, all these recommendations are not commensurate with the provisions of section 13 (3) of the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014, the noting said. His comments were however dismissed by the state government as not based on facts.
Kasni has now been posted as administrator, Command Area Development Authority, Panchkula, and also given the charge of project director, Haryana AIDS Control Society.
