Srinagar: Amid massive protests, Achal Sethi could not take charge as secretary assembly a day after government issued an order to give him additional charge as secretary assembly in addition to his own duties as secretary law & Parliamentary affairs department.
Witnesses said employees of the assembly secretariat staged a massive demonstration outside the assembly building and shouted anti-government slogans to protest the government’s decision to give additional charge to Achal Sethi. The employees are demanding the appointment of senior most officer from within the assembly secretariat as secretary assembly.
Achal Sethi presently looking after the charge as secretary law & parliamentary affairs is junior to three officers in the law department including Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh, Abdul Rashid Fayaz and Nazir Ahmad Thakur as he is holding the substantive post of deputy secretary but looking after the charge of secretary law & parliamentary affairs department.
From within the assembly secretariat one Naseema is the senior most officer of the rank and status of additional secretary but overdue for promotion as special secretary but speaker of the dissolved assembly Nirmal Singh denied her promotion despite elevating her senior Ratan Lal Sharma, the outgoing secretary assembly. Naseema presently fully qualifies for the position of Secretary assembly if promoted as Special Secretary for which she is overdue.