While Mahishi is said to enjoy sympathy and support of his colleagues opposed to the action, at least the superseded officers are expected to move the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in this case.
The Governor-led executive committee’s Tuesday nod for the CS's ouster and posting as Chairman of Karnataka Power Corporation, put a cap on week-long speculation about the move but fuelled fresh rancour in IAS ranks.
At least one contender to the post confirmed seeking legal remedy against the supersession and appointment of 1973 batch IAS officer and Development Commissioner Sudhakar Rao.
Sudhakar Rao has overtaken four IAS contenders to the post - three of 1972 batch and one of his own batch - besides three more IAS seniors of 1971-72 cadre who are on Central posting and not in the race.
The contenders superseded are Additional Chief Secretaries Dilip Rau, Neerja Raj Kumar (both 1972), Usha Ganesh (1973) and Phalguni Raj Kumar (now at the Centre).
Dilip Rau and Neerja Raj Kumar retire in October 2009, with full 20 months tenure left, while Sudhakar Rao retires a month earlier in September 2009.
Apart from the superseded officers having long tenures to serve, they are considered 'in-house' workhorses compared to Sudhakar Rao, who mostly served the Central Government and abroad except for his recent stint as Secretary to former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. Mr Dilip Rau, in particular, is currently Additional Chief Secretary, Administrator of BBMP and Chairman, BDA.
Though for selection grade posts, appointments are made on merit with due regard to seniority, precedents point to seniority being protected when CS' were required to be replaced under "compelling" reasons, contend officers.
When former chief secretary Shankarnarayanan was removed for speaking against the then Bangarappa government, he was succeeded by the next seniormost officer, N K Prabhakar, followed by T P Issar. Only on Issar's retirement was J Alexander, a much junior officer, appointed. Alexander was later replaced by a senior officer, J C Lynn.
Another former CS, K N S Murthy, removed on grounds of misconduct, was asked to go on leave before he retired.
The new appointment may be a move to reduce IAS to an "I Agree Sir" cadre with the impending State Assembly election and consequent 'sensitive' decisions to be taken in mind, contend senior officers.
Meanwhile, DG & IG of Police, who is unwell, is also set to be replaced by DGP (CoD) Ajay Kumar Singh, who will pip senior Srikumar, DGP, Police Housing Corporation, to the post.
IAS OFFICERS RESHUFFLED
Governor Rameshwar Thakur has effected a major reshuffle of IAS officers on Wednesday. According to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms’ order, the officers posted to the places mentioned against their names:
H Bhasker- Commissioner for Sericulture Development and Director of Sericulture, Bangalore; Mahendra Jain- Commissioner for Collegiate Education, Bangalore; K Shivaram- Secretary to Government, Youth Services Department, Bangalore; Gaurav Gupta- continued as Commissioner for Employment & Training, Bangalore and he is also placed in concurrent charge of the post of Commissioner, Urban Transport Cell (Urban Development Department), Bangalore; Abdul Bari Nawab - Managing Director, Mysore Electrical Industries Ltd., Bangalore; K H Aswathanarayana Gowda- Managing Director, Mysore Sugar Company Limited, Bangalore; Mohammed Mohsin-Managing Director, Hubli Electricity Company Ltd., Hubli; D K Rangaswamy- Director of Mass Education, Bangalore; K Amaranarayana- Managing Director, KEONICS, Bangalore; H.R.Srinivasa- Director of Agricultural Marketing, Bangalore; V B Patil-Joint Commissioner of Excise, Bangalore; B Shivappa- Joint Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Bangalore; N S Channappa Gowda - Chief Executive Officer, ZP, Bangalore Urban District; Dr J Ravishankar-Deputy Secretary to Government, DPAR(Services), Bangalore; Mr Ravishankar is also placed in concurrent charge of the post of Director, Information Technology and Biotechnology, Bangalore.
