State appeals against quashing of Suresh Kumar’s appointment
Saturday, 10/02/2018
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Chandigarh The Punjab government on Friday filed appeal before a division bench of Punjab and Haryana high court challenging the decision of a singlejudge bench quashing the appointment of Suresh Kumar as chief principal secretary to chief minister Amarinder Singh.
The single-judge bench had held that Kumar was holding the public office without authority. Kumar, a 1983-batch retired IAS officer, was appointed immediately after the Congress government took over the state’s reins in March last year. The post, created for the first time in Punjab, was stated to be equivalent to the Union cabinet secretary.
The government has argued that Kumar was not performing any sovereign function of a state.
There was no action possible by Kumar unless the same is first decided by the chief minister but where he had to take a decision (when Captain is on tour), it was with ex-post facto approval so that directions of the CM are executed in true spirit, it further said.
The government has argued that Kumar could not have taken decisions pertaining to departments held by the chief minister as these are taken by the administrative secretaries.
The single-judge bench had held that overriding powers were given to Kumar. “Accoun
