Lok Sabha secretariat wants ACC to modify appointment letter of its official

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha secretariat has challenged an order issued by the appointments committee of cabinet (ACC) regarding a senior officer’s deputation to the secretariat, asking for it to be modified.
The letter was sent by Lok Sabha secretary general Anoop Mishra to cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, after the appointment of DK Bhalla, a 1986 batch IAS officer of Nagaland cadre, as secretary in the Lok Sabha secretariat raised hackles.
TOI had reported on Sunday that the appointment of Bhalla and another senior executive in Lok Sabha Televison (LSTV), has raised eyebrows in several quarters. Sumit Singh was appointed executive director (marketing and promotion) of Lok Sabha TV, though he did not have the advertised qualifications, according to documents.
Lok Sabha secretariat had dismissed criticism of the appointments, claiming they were made according to laid down norms.
According to documents seen by TOI, Lok Sabha secretary general’s letter to the cabinet secretary on March 5 said: “The orders of appointment of Dr Bhalla as secretary in the Lok Sabha secretariat in the scale of Rs 80,000 (fixed) has been made with the orders of the Hon’ble speaker and Dr Bhalla would be eligible to draw the scale. The stipulation that he would carry his scale pay of the state government to the new assignment is without basis and, therefore, needs to be modified.”
Mishra’s letter is in response to the order of the ACC of February 23 that Bhalla, who is a joint secretary rank officer, will carry “his scale pay of the state government to the new deputation assignment”. Instead, the Lok Sabha secretariat appointed him at the salary of a secretary to the Union government.
Critics point out that awarding Bhalla with a full secretary pay-scale is against the ACC order.
While, Lok Sabha secretariat sources say that Bhalla was drawing the pay scale of additional secretary after completion of 25 years of service on January 1, 2011, though he was yet to be promoted to the rank.
They argue that the appointments in Lok Sabha secretariat are governed by Article 91 and 98 of Constitution under which Parliament through Speaker is the sole authority to regulate the appointments to its secretariat. “The government has no role in the appointments,” a source said.