Karnataka Chief Secretary’s appointment challenged by senior IAS officer

The appointment of Sudhakar Rao as the new Chief Secretary of Karnataka superseding four senior IAS officers has been challenged in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) by the Additional Chief Secretary and Chairman of Bangalore Development Authority Dilip Rau.

The Tribunal took up Dilip Rau’s petition yesterday and issued notices to the Federal Government and the State Government, besides posting the next hearing of the case to March 6.

Sudhakar Rao’s appointment as the new Chief Secretary in place of P B Mahishi, who was transferred as Chairman of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited by Governor Rameshwar Thakur had stirred up a hornet’s nest in the State.

The move, which comes when the state is under federal rule, has not only caused bitterness among the IAS officers senior to Sudhakar Rao, but also angered the JD (S), which had appointed Mahishi to the coveted post during the regime of H D Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister.

Even as Sudhakar Rao assumed charge as the new Chief Secretary, Dilip Rau submitted his petition before the CAT terming the appointment as “illegal, arbitrary, capricious and discriminatory”. Requesting the Tribunal to pass an interim order staying Sudhakar Rao’s appointment, Dilip Rau, who is a 1972 batch IAS officer and senior to Rao, sought a direction to appoint him to the post of Chief Secretary.

No senior IAS officer attended the brief programme held in the chambers of the Chief Secretary in Vidhana Soudha to witness the assumption of office by Sudhakar Rao.

Former Chief Secretary P B Mahishi and Additional Chief Secretary Neerja Rajumar are also exploring the options of moving the Tribunal against Rao’s appointment.

Meanwhile, JD (S) activists held demonstrations in different parts of the state yesterday condemning the removal of Mahishi from the post of Chief Secretary. Former Minister H D Revanna, who is also the son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, accused the Governor of succumbing to the pressure tactics of Congress leaders and removing Mahishi from the post.

However, former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the Governor’s decision and said the appointment of the Chief Secretary is carried out on the basis of seniority as well as merit. Hence, there is no violation of law in the appointment of Sudhakar Rao to the top post, he contended.