Suresh Kumar rejoins as chief principal secy to Punjab CM

Chandigarh, February 19

Retired IAS officer Suresh Kumar on Monday rejoined as the Chief Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, officials said.

Before joining the office, he met the chief minister at his residence.

A division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High court on February 14 had stayed the operation of the order of a single bench that set aside the appointment of Suresh Kumar as the chief principal secretary to the Punjab chief minister.

The Punjab government had filed an appeal, and challenged the single-bench order that had set aside the appointment. The state maintained it had "unequivocal powers" to make contractual appointments.

The division bench issued a notice of motion to the petitioner, Suresh Kumar, and other respondents for April 17.

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram had appeared for the state.

On January 17, the single bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court had set aside the appointment of Suresh Kumar, saying the retired IAS officer was holding public office "without authority of law".

Kumar, considered close to Amarinder Singh, was appointed after the Congress came to power in the state last March.

Kumar, a 1983-batch officer, retired in 2016 as additional chief secretary. Kumar also served as principal secretary to the chief minister during Amarinder Singh's previous tenure in 2002-2007. — PTI