AP Government Rejects PS Praveen Prakash Transfer Orders

AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh State government has rejected orders issued by the State Election Commission (SEC) to transfer Principal Secretary (Political) Praveen Prakash to the General Administration Department. It clarified that SEC does not have the power to take direct action against an All India Service Officer. Chief Secretary to the Government Aditya Nath Das wrote a letter to the SEC on Sunday to this effect. Clarifying the allegations made against Praveen Prakash are baseless, CS asked to reconsider taking action against him.

Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Praveen Prakash reacted to the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar's letter to CS Aditya Nath Das about action against him and denied the charges made by the SEC against him.

It is reported that Praveen Prakash said that he responded  letter and clarified that he needs to report to the CS as he is the head of the GAD.  He also mentioned that he informed the SEC that all communications in the future should be addressed to the CS. He said that he is a supporting officer to the CS in the GAD. He also questioned that holding him accountable in what way was ethical or justifiable

It may be recollected that earlier  two senior IAS officers- Principal Secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi and M Girija Sankar, Commissioner of Panchayat Raj, were censured by the SEC for alleged failure  to carry out their duties in preparing the latest electoral rolls as per January, 2021, for the ongoing Gram Panchayat polls. However, the state government rejected the Commission's move saying that the SEC has no powers to do so.