Captain cuts OSDs, political secys to size over CMO bypass

‘KNOW PROTOCOL’ Directs them not to write notes or letters directly; move comes after some OSDs found writing to ministers, officials recommending transfers

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the political secretaries and officers on special duty (OSDs) in his office to stop “writing notes and letters directly without proper record”, in what is being seen as a move to check their powers.

In an August 17 letter, chief principal secretary to CM, Suresh Kumar has asked political secretaries Captain Sandeep Sandhu, Major Amardeep Singh and Karanpal Sekhon; officers on special duty (OSDs) Jagdeep Sidhu, Damanjit Mohie, Ankit Bansal, Sandeep Brar and Gurpreet Dhesi and secretary (press) Vimal Sumbly to route notes or letters with proper record in the chief minister’s office (CMO).

“It has been brought to the chief minister’s notice that various officials and non-officials attached with the CMO are writing notes/letters to the governor, ministers and other senior functionaries of the government without these being recorded in the CMO,” reads the strongly worded letter.

Even as officials posted in the CMO have also been marked the copy of the letter, sources said the letter is meant for these appointees after it came to the notice that some OSDs were writing notes to ministers and senior officials recommending transfers on their own.

“Officers in the CMO already know the protocol and they never issue any note,” said an official.

The letter states that they will now have to write a note concerning any issue, request, representation or application through the CMO with proper record in the legislature cell or in the follow-up section.

The letter would reach the officers in charge of departments concerned, who would send it to the appropriate authority or the department for necessary action “only after careful consideration of the note”.

The letter has been marked to senior political adviser (cabinet rank) General TS Shergill (retd), adviser (MoS rank) to the CM, BIS Chahal, and media adviser (MoS rank) to the CM, Raveen Thukral. However, it is not clear if the new diktat is applicable to their offices also as they are enjoying the status of ministers.

It’s not for the first time that the CM has cut the OSDs down to size through his chief principal secretary.

In the first week of May, Amarinder had directed his OSDs “not to enter the CM residence, until asked”, “not to accompany the CM, until asked” and “not to seek appointments” with the CM for people.

When many among the CMO are terming this letter as another attempt to clipping wings of political appointees, especially the OSDs, an officer in the CMO termed it as a routine letter.

“All this has been done to bring everything on record and bring transparency,” said the officer.

LETTER SAYS THEY WILL NOW HAVE TO WRITE A NOTE CONCERNING ANY ISSUE THROUGH CMO WITH RECORD IN THE LEGISLATURE CELL OR IN FOLLOWUP SECTION