Haryana shifts home secretary, 18 days after Panchkula arson
ADMINISTRATIVE RESHUFFLE ACS (tourism) Varinder Singh Kundu, whose daughter Varnika Kundu was stalked by state BJP chief Subhash Barala’s son Vikas Barala last month, has also been shifted as ACS (science & technology)
: The Haryana government on Tuesday shifted out additional chief secretary (ACShome) Ram Niwas, replacing him with ACS (food and supplies) Shyam Sunder Prasad.
The shifting of Niwas comes as a surprise, particularly since chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently expressed satisfaction over the administrative and police measures taken to ensure the appearance of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh before a CBI court in Panchkula on August 25.
Violence and arson broke out after the Dera head was convicted by the CBI court for raping two of his female disciples. Over 38 persons were killed in the violence.
If the handling of the issue is the reason behind Niwas’s shifting, one can expect heads to roll in the police department as well.
Meanwhile, ACS (tourism) Varinder Singh Kundu, whose daughter Varnika Kundu was stalked by state BJP chief Subhash Barala’s son Vikas Barala last month, has been shifted as ACS (science and technology), a relatively low-key department. He will be replaced by ACS (labour) Vijai Vardhan.
Reacting to Kundu’s transfer, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that the officer has been “punished for standing up to BJP in quest for justice for his daughter, Varnika Kundu?”
Jyoti Arora, awaiting posting orders, has been posted as principal secretary (higher education) vice Mahavir Singh, who goes as principal secretary (labour).
Member secretary, Fifth State Finance Commission and Commissioner, Ambala Division, Vivek Joshi has been given the additional charge of chief administrator, Trade Fair Authority of Haryana relieving Anand Mohan Sharan.
Shekhar Vidyarthi, director, environment, and chief executive, Haryana Khadi and Village Industries Board has been given the additional charge of director and special secretary, welfare of scheduled castes and backward classes department, managing director, Haryana Scheduled Castes Development Corporation and managing director, Haryana Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam Limited.
Ashok Kumar Meena, director and special secretary, development and panchayats, director, rural development and commissioner, municipal corporation, Panchkula has been posted as director and special secretary, development and panchayats and director, rural development.
Garima Mittal, director, elementary education, and Rajnarayan Kaushik, deputy commissioner, Mahendragarh at Narnaul will swap their places of posting.
VS Kundu gets sidelined. Punished for standing up to BJP in quest for justice for his daughter, Varnika Kundu? RANDEEP SINGH SURJEWALA, Congress leader, on Twitter