USMANI AS UP CIC: GUV RETURNS FILE, SEEKS CVC NOD
In a setback to the Akhilesh Yadav government, the Raj Bhawan has asked for a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) clearance to the appointment of Javed Usmani, chairman Board of Revenue and former chief secretary, as chief information commissioner (CIC) of Uttar Pradesh. The Raj Bhawan has returned the file to the state government after governor Ram Naik’s refusal to grant his approval to Usmani’s appointment without a CVC clearance.
LUCKNOW: In a setback to the Akhilesh Yadav government, the Raj Bhawan has asked for a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) clearance to the appointment of Javed Usmani, chairman Board of Revenue and former chief secretary, as chief infor mation commissioner (CIC) of Uttar Pradesh.
The Raj Bhawan has returned the file to the state government after governor Ram Naik’s refusal to grant his approval to Usmani’s appointment without a CVC clearance.
The state government had sent 1978 batch IAS officer Usmani’s name for governor’s approval after a committee headed by chief minister selected his name for the CIC’s post.
Usmani was among nearly two dozen applicants (including bureaucrats, serving and retired, journalists and politicians) who had applied for the post that had fallen vacant after Ranjit Singh Pankaj, a retired IAS officer, completed his tenure recently. According to sources, the gover nor asked f or the CVC clearance as Usmani was a serving IAS officer. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had recently ques- tioned Usmani in connection with the coal scam for his role as joint secretary in the Prime MInister’s Office in the Manmohan Singh led UPA government.
Asked to comment, chief secretary Alok Ranjan said the file about Usmani’s appointment was yet to reach his office following the Raj Bhawan’s reported objections. Sources said the state government would examine the file before taking a decision on the issue.
“This is unprecedented. Usually a vigilance clearance is sent at the state level for officers posted in the state. The CVC clearance may be required for IAS officers posted at the Centre. If required, the state government may seek legal opinion on the issue,” said a senior officer.
Besides being questioned by the CBI in connection with the coal scam, Usmani’s appointment is also being questioned as he was a serving IAS officer. Sources, however, said, “Raj Bhawan has returned the file only to get a CVC clearance. It will be for him to take VRS or resign from the service once the CVC gives its clearance to his name.”
Meanwhile, an RTI activist has also sent a complaint to the governor raising various other objections against the state government’s move to appoint Usmani as the chief information commissioner.