Hyderabad: Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has kept pending the appointment of retired IAS officer Chittaranjan Biswal as AP state election commissioner. The state government has sent the file to the Governor for appointment of Biswal as SEC.
Raj Bhavan sources said that the Governor has some doubts and he wanted to clear those before appointment. Biswal earlier worked as APPSC Chairman.
Biswal earlier worked as Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission chief. According to norms, the term of State Election Commissioner is five years from the date of appointment. Those who have crossed 65 years of age are not eligible to be appointed as State Election Commissioner. The 1981 batch IAS officer, Mr Biswal has completed 63 years. If Biswal is appointed as SEC he will be in office for two years. Raj Bhavan sources said that the Governor wants to take legal opinion on the issue. The Governor reached Hyderabad on Tuesday evening from Bangalore and was busy with visitors, Raj Bhavan sources said.
After the retirement of P. Ramakanth Reddy, the Telangana government has constituted its own state election commission. Following the footsteps of Telangana, AP government also decided to constitute its own election commission and sent the file to the Governor. He referred the issue to the Centre and it has given the green signal to AP government to constitute its own state election commission.
Two days ago Hyderabad High Court directed the AP government to constitute the state election commission immediately. The AP government has decided that retired IAS officer Biswal is to be appointed as state election commissioner. A senior IAS officer said that there will be no hurdles to appoint Biswal.
