Odisha: BJP questions appointment of principal secretary on contractual basis

BJP said prima facie the appointment seemed to be violation of Articles 14 and 16 and Odisha government rules of business made under Article 166 of the Constitution of India

Published on: Jan 10, 2023, 13:40:05 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the appointment of Manoj Kumar Mishra as secretary of the electronics and information technology department on a contractual basis in Odisha.

Mishra, a 1999-batch Indian Railway traffic service officer, had resigned from all-India service last month. (HT image (Sourced))

BJP said prima facie the appointment seemed to be violation of Articles 14 and 16 and Odisha government rules of business made under Article 166 of the Constitution of India.

Mishra, a 1999-batch Indian Railway traffic service officer, had resigned from all-India service last month after his application for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) was turned down by the union railway ministry.

Also Read: Odisha: BJP MLAs urge party leaders to look for new LoP in assembly

Soon after his resignation, he was appointed as principal secretary of the electronics and information technology department on December 29, which he held till he resigned.

The government said Mishra will also remain in additional charge of special secretary to the commerce and transport department (Rail Coordination) and an OSD in the CM’s office.

Describing the appointment of Mishra as one of the rarest in the history of all-India service, former IAS officer and BJP leader Sudarshan Nayak said it appeared to be flawed as there are no vacancies in the level of principal secretary rank officers in Odisha cadre.

“As per the IAS cadre list of the state government, there are 9 posts of principal secretary. The state government has the power to create an equal number of ex-cadre posts to meet its administrative requirement. But there is no vacancy at the level of principal secretary. As per Odisha Government Rules of Business, a secretary holds the statutory power to deal with financial matters of the government. How can a contractual employee carry out his official duties in an impartial manner is highly questionable. This is a blatant attempt to politicise the administration,” alleged Nayak.

Nayak said while the central government picks up people in the joint secretary rank through lateral entry system it is done in a constitutional manner.

“The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which does the hiring is a constitutional body and the recruitment is made through open advertisement and in a transparent manner. Why did the state government not follow the same procedure if it felt the urgency of an expert in the IT domain,” he asked.

HT sent Mishra a questionnaire about his appointment, but there was no response.

The GA department which appointed him also did not respond to questions.

Defending the move, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) spokesman Gautambuddha Das said Mishra has been working as IT Secretary for a long time and helped the state get top IT firms and provide employment opportunities for the youth.

“Appointments of many officers are done by the central government, but we have never spoken about them as it is an administrative matter. It is astonishing to see the Odisha BJP leaders becoming jittery and afraid of the appointment of an officer by the government,” said Das.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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