Kohima, November 27 (MExN): The Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton today dismissed reports of an alleged confrontation with the State's Chief Secretary over the transfer of ADGP Rupin Sharma, IPS to Nagaland House, New Delhi as “cheap political propaganda.”
“There is no confrontation, much less threatening act or omission by Dy CM to the Chief Secretary as alleged by the NPF Press Bureau and other media,” Patton clarified in a rejoinder issued by the Dy CM Media Cell.
In this regard, Patton maintained that Sharma, whose service is under “compulsory wait,” had applied for posting to Nagaland House, Delhi to enable him to pursue his deputation and for a health check-up. Simultaneously another application was filed for "Station Leave" to proceed on tour for pursuing the deputation, he added.
“The file was processed and on examination by the Home Department, it was found that there is no rule or provision for proceeding on tour to pursue deputation matter as deputation case has to be processed as per rules,” Patton claimed in the rejoinder.
The Home Commissioner accordingly suggested for medical leave and endorsed the file to Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the Minister in charge of Home & National Highways, to “which it was agreed and the file was sent to Home Commissioner,” he added.
Thereafter, the Chief Secretary had directed the Home Commissioner to resubmit the file to him immediately which was done on the same day, the Dy CM maintained the rejoinder, adding the former on November 19 unilaterally wrote on the note-sheet saying Sharma may be “posted as OSD, Nagaland House, New Delhi and continue to draw salary from PHQ…”
The Chief Secretary also took “photocopy of his own file noting” and e-mailed both to Resident Commissioner, Nagaland House, New Delhi and Sharma before obtaining Government approval, he added.
Patton further said that the file was later sent to the Chief Minister Office directly for “approval bypassing Deputy CM, though both the CM and Deputy CM were out of station.”
Patton, upon learning the same, claimed in the rejoinder, that he “admonished” the Chief Secretary “for flouting rules and office procedure and advised him not to take unilateral decision till the matter was further discussed.”
The Chief Secretary, he added, was also questioned regarding the “urgency for unilateral decision in recommending posting of an Officer who is on compulsory wait.”
Consequently, the Chief Secretary called back the file from CMO and changed the file note sheet and redirected it through the Deputy CM, the rejoinder added.
In this regard, Patton said that the allegation of threatening or abusing the Chief Secretary is "out of question" since he has “high esteem for the Office of the State bureaucratic head.”
“The NPF Press Bureau should not try to politicize the issue without knowing the truth as the public is wise enough to understand cheap political propaganda,” Patton snapped back.
