Amid reports of his resignation, Suresh Kumar, Chief Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister, has resumed work. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday rejected his resignation and this decision was conveyed to Kumar by Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, according to official sources.
There were reports that Kumar had tendered his resignation on July 15 as he was upset with the legal department for not defending his case effectively in the Punjab and Haryana High court. His appointment had been challenged in the HC. After resignation, he was learnt to have relieved his personal staff and sent back his official vehicles. He had not even been attending any meetings and official work.
There were also reports that the chief minister had even met Kumar in order to placate him. Kumar was learnt to have tendered his resignation after no one from the state’s legal department appeared in the High Court for the case which was listed for hearing on July 15. The next date of the case is now on September 14.
Kumar had tendered this resignation from the post twice over the same issue. A 1983-batch IAS officer, Kumar was handpicked by Amarinder Singh after coming to power in 2017. Kumar had retired in 2016 from the post of Additional Chief Secretary.
His post was challenged in Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2017 by a Mohali resident Ramandeep Singh. The petitioner had claimed that Kumar’s appointment was against the constitutional scheme and accepted norms. In January 2018, a single bench of the High Court had set aside the appointment of Kumar as the chief principal secretary to the Punjab Chief Minister.
Later, the state government had challenged the verdict of the single bench before a division bench which stayed the single-bench order and this case was still in the court. Kumar had served in many positions in the state as well as at the Centre on deputation. He had also served as principal secretary to the chief minister during Singh’s previous tenure between 2002-2007. (PTI)
