AP Chief Secretary transferred unceremoniously by YSRCP govt; He had warned against non-Hindu employees working illegally in TTD

The YSRCP government under Jagan Reddy has found itself in midst of another disputable decision. While it was able to stave off the controversy over renaming award constituted in memory of APJ Abdul Kalam by withdrawing the order, now it has transferred the Chief Secretary L.V Subrahmanyam unceremoniously. Subrahmanyam had warned against non-Hindu employees working illegally in TTD few days ago.

While the sources in YSRCP hint at L.V Subrahmanyam’s strained relationship with the Principal Secretary who is seen as close to CM Jagan as the reason for the transfer, many believe that the Chief Secretary’s stern order against non-Hindu being employed in TTD and his inquiry into the issue of Misuse of SC Status by YSRCP MLA V Sridevi as the primary reasons for the transfer.

Many in the government saw Subrahmanyam’s work as showing the party and government as being against Evangelical motives of its leaders. Hence his work was detested by many in the party which resulted in the abrupt transfer. Subrahmanyam had just about 5 months of service left.

Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) had lodged a complaint with the President of India over inaction by the government over allegations of misuse of SC Status by MLA Sridevi. Following this the Presidential office had ordered a probe into the flase election affidavit by the MLA.

The petition by LRPF was forwarded by the President Office to Chief Secretary LV Subrahmanyam who then had begun to investigate into the matter.

It is said that the Principal Secretary Pravin Prakash was at loggerheads with the Chief Secretary over many decisions, including inquiry into misuse of SC status by an YSRCP MLA and non-Hindu employees in TTD. Pravin Prakash is seen as being close to CM Jagan and many leaders of YSRCP. The way the transfer was executed has resulted in a controversy for the government.

On 30th October, the Chief Secretary who is the head of government administration issued a show cause notice to the Principal Secretary at CMO over inaction in an issue. For several days, there was no response to the notice either from the PS or the CMO. On November 4th, the same PS issued a transfer order to the Chief Secretary through a Government Order (GO) which was signed by the same PS on whom a show cause notice was issued. The rude way in which the transfer was executed by the government has caused lot of discontentment in the official machinery of the state.

Consequently, L.V Subrahmanyam, was transferred as the Director-General of HRD Centre at Bapatla. He was instructed to hand over charge to Neerab Kumar Prasad, another senior IAS officer. Neerab Kumar took charge as Chief Secretary of AP today.

BJP AP President Kanna Lakshmi Narayana has blasted the government over the treatment meted out to the Chief Secretary. “The sudden transfer of the AP CS proves the dictatorship of the Chief Minister.” he said. Many other opposition leaders have decried CM Jagan’s way of handling the transfer.

While most political observers and leaders have denounced the way the Chief Secretary was removed from his post, the Evangelists in the state seem to be celebrating his transfer. It has come to notice that Christian Missionaries see the transfer as a ‘Christian Victory’ as the CS had attempted to put a spoke in their work.

A report in a Christian magazine shows that a cake has been cut to celebrate the transfer which had ‘LV Subbu Get Out. Christian Victory’ written on it. The missionaries alleged that the CS was working as an agent of RSS/BJP and pursuing a pro-Hindu agenda.