Vijayawada: The 1983 batch IAS officer L.V. Subramanyam took over as Chief Secretary from Mr Anil Chandra Punetha. The change was effected under the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Mr Subramanyam before taking charge went to the Sri Kanaka Durga temple and offered special prayers. He said there was no pressure on him and that he would discharge his duties effectively.
The EC had transferred Mr Punetha as Chief Secretary to a non-election post on Friday night and appointed Mr Subramanyam, the next senior 1983 batch officer, in his place. Mr Punetha was accu-sed of disobeying EC orders transferring Intelligence DG A.B. Venkateswara Rao.
The transfer of Mr Punetha comes on the heels of state DGP R.P. Thakur meting Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and explaining the controversy over the EC’s order transferring senior police officers. It is learnt that Mr Punetha had taken the decision to revoke Mr Rao’s transfer after holding an hour-long discussion with Mr Thakur in the last week of March.
YSRC leaders had been alleging that both Mr Rao and Mr Thakur have been working for the TD bosses and lodged a complaint with the ECI seeking the transfer of both the officers.
