Delhi Assembly secy Suryadevara joins his parent cadre AIR

New Delhi: Controversial Delhi Assembly secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara has reportedly joined back his parent cadre in the All India Radio.

There had been an ongoing turf war between the Centre and Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel, who had repeatedly turned down requests to relieve Mr Suryadevara from Delhi Assembly. The matter had landed up before the Delhi high court as well.

The controversy took an ugly turn during former lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung’s tenure when the speaker had outrightly turned down Raj Nivas diktat to transfer  the officer to the All India Radio.

The services department, on the directions of the Raj Nivas, had directed Mr Suryadevara to join back his parent cadre with immediate effect.  But the speaker’s office had then directed all the officers to ignore any such order related to the Assembly secretary’s transfer.

Mr Suryadevara had been appointed as the Assembly secretary for a period of one year on July 17, 2016. But deputy secretary (services) Anupama Chakravorty, AIR’s deputy director (administration) V. Sripathi had later stated that there has been no recruitment for years in the AIR, which had led to acute staff shortage in all cadres. Her letter said that Mr Suryadevara’s deputation had already elapsed and requested that he be relieved.

Meanwhile, Mr Goel on Thursday appointed Delhi Assembly joint secretary C. Velmurugan as the officiating secretary of the Assembly. The order came two days after Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta questioned former secretary Mr Suryadevara’s “mysterious” absence.