With barely 60 days to go for the Commonwealth Games, already mired in controversy over alleged irregularities, the issue of appointment of chief of security for the event is still hanging. The post has been lying vacant for over a year due to a legal tussle between the Union government and senior IPS officer from Karnataka R.P. Sharma, despite orders by Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) clearing his appointment.
A 1987-batch Karnataka cadre officer, Mr Sharma, who is presently posted as IGP, planning and modernisation, had first filed an appeal with the CAT against the Central government after his name was not considered for the post, based on ministry of youth affairs and sports “careful consideration”, even though it was initially recommended. He again approached the CAT in June this year stating that the government had disobeyed its order. On Thursday, the CAT bench in Bengaluru heard the argument and posted it for Friday.
The Games Organising Committee had reportedly sent a proposal to the home ministry in 2008 recommending the name of R.P. Sharma for the job based on a report made by a Search Committee. On the recommendations by both the Organising Committee and Karnataka government Mr Sharma reportedly attended different CWG meetings on security in Delhi, even as the proposal was due for clearance by the home ministry.
Later, Mr Sharma’s name was not cleared by the ministry of youth affairs and sports. Mr Sharma filed an appeal with the CAT requesting to issue clearance for his deputation.
Meanwhile, home ministry and sports ministry reportedly recommended the name of Ajay Chadha, a 1977 batch IPS officer of AGMU (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Mizoram) cadre, for the post of chief of security.
“The CAT in April 2009 had directed the respondent, (MHA) to act as per the instruction given in a department of personnel and training (DoPT) circular stating that Mr Sharma was eligible to be considered by the committee under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary for screening the cases of deputation. The court also asked the MHA to place Mr Sharma’s case before the committee and to submit their recommendations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and to complete all the required procedure before May 30,’’ a senior police officer said.
When Mr Sharma approached the CAT again in June stating that the government disobeyed its order, the court issued a show-cause notice to the then Union home secretary and asked him to appear before it for not abiding by its order. Meanwhile, the Central government moved an appeal in Karnataka High Court against the CAT order for summoning Mr Gupta stating he is retired and only a serving officer can be summoned. The CAT then issued a notice to home secretary G.K. Pillai and sought his reply in the matter.