Plea in Cal HC challenges CEO Agarwal’s appt as chief secy

Kolkata: A writ petition has been filed in the Calcutta High Court challenging state govt's appointment of Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal as the chief secretary. The matter is scheduled to be mentioned before the bench of Justice Gaurang Kanth on Wednesday. Petitioner Anwar Hosen Molla argued that state govt issued the notification on May 11 even while the MCC remained in force in Falta assembly constituency following an order for a fresh poll on May 21. The plea alleged that the appointment was made without prior approval from the EC."The action is arbitrary, unconstitutional, violative of Article 324, contrary to binding EC instructions and detrimental to the purity, fairness and independence of the electoral process," the petition stated. EC sources said there is no legal bar on an officer simultaneously holding the posts of CEO and chief secretary. In several smaller states, the chief secretary has also served as the CEO. The tate govt has sent a panel of three senior IAS officers to the EC for the appointment of next CEO. The names are Neelam Meena, Tanmoy Chakraborty and Moumita Godara Basu.