Govt weighs options after Kumar

Tribune News service

Chandigarh, January 18

Following a meeting of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh with the Chief Secretary, Advocate General and other senior bureaucrats in the wake of the ouster of Chief Principal Secretary to CM Suresh Kumar, it has been decided that there will be no immediate change in the remaining structure of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Ahead of proceeding on short leave to Japan on January 17, Kumar had re-allocated his responsibilities to other officers in the CMO. Meanwhile, the standing order that gave sweeping powers to the Chief Principal Secretary will also have to be amended in view of the high court finding it in violation of law.

Under the current arrangement in the CMO, Tejvir Singh is functioning as Principal Secretary to the CM; Gurkirat Kirpal Singh is Special Principal Secretary to the CM, while Dr Amrit Kaur Gill is Deputy Principal Secretary to the CM.

For the future, the Punjab Government is exploring various options regarding retaining Kumar, who had come to be an all-powerful authority in the top power structure of the state.

The first option could be to file a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) against the order of the Single Bench of the high court, claiming that the order passed by the state government in appointing Kumar was legal and valid. Incidentally, Kumar had not defended his appointment in the high court, and the case was contested by the Punjab Government.

The other option could be to re-engage him in an advisory role. However, in such a position, he will not enjoy the same powers as he did as CPSCM. He would only be able to advise the government on different matters.