High court resumes hearing on Suresh Kumar’s appointment

THE IAS OFFICER WAS APPOINTED CPS TO THE CM AFTER THE CONG GOVT TOOK CHARGE IN MARCH 2017

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday resumed hearing on the Punjab government’s plea against a single-judge order that had set aside the appointment of retired IAS officer Suresh Kumar as the chief principal secretary (CPS) to chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Punjab on two occasions had sought early hearing in the case this year. However, the court did not agree. The case could not be taken up due to the Covid-19 outbreak since March 2020.

Kumar’s appointment was quashed by a high court singlejudge bench in January 2018. The bench had held that Kumar was holding the public office without authority and overriding powers were given to him without any accountability. Following the order, Kumar resigned but rejoined after the order was stayed by the division bench on February 14, 2018, acting on the plea from the state.

A 1983-batch IAS officer, Kumar was appointed immediately after the Congress government took charge in Punjab in March 2017. The post created for the first time in Punjab was stated to be equivalent to a cabinet secretary of the central government.

Kumar was being paid ₹2.5 lakh per month. His appointment was challenged by one Ramandeep Singh, claiming that Kumar had become a “de facto CM” and was empowered by the government to take decisions on behalf of the CM.