HC seeks govt reply on PIL against babus' promotion

Times of India Reports:

PATNA: The Patna High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to file a counter affidavit to the PIL that has challenged the promotion of
six more IAS officers to the rank of chief secretary even as there are only six posts in the rank and five of them were already occupied.

The PIL says the government move would lead to an additional burden on the public exchequer as the six newly-promoted officers would have to be paid the chief secretary's pay.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad and Justice Shyam Kishore Sharma issued the directive on the PIL of social activist Kishori Das. The petitioner alleges IAS (Pay) Rules was violated while effecting the promotions.

Petitioner's counsel Basant Kumar Chaudhary submitted that the state government also took away the powers to issue payslip from the accountant general (AG) when it became apprehensive that the AG would not allow withdrawal of salary by more than six chief secretary-rank officers.

Additional advocate general Ray Shivaji Nath submitted the government has taken a policy decision to take away the powers of issuing payslip to senior government officials.