The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday issued notices to five top IAS officers in the state asking them to explain how they occupied more than the prescribed cadre posts. Hearing a PIL filed by a social activist SN Shukla,the bench comprising Justices Pradeep Kant and Ritu Raj Awasthi also directed the state government as well as the Union of India to file a counter affidavit in the case. The petitioner argued that a cadre holding more than one post was against the provisions of the IAS cadre rules. The notices were issued to Ravindra Singh,Net Ram,Durga Shankar Mishra,Raj Pratap Singh and Navneet Sehgal. The petitioner had filed the PIL pleading the state government has created a parallel Secretariat under the Cabinet Secretary in the Chief Ministers office against the provisions of the Secretariat manuals. He also said the creation of the post of Additional Cabinet Secretary is against the Article 205 and 320 of the Constitution. The CM office has one post of Principal Secretary and two of Secretary level whereas four to five IAS officers of Principal Secretary and Secretary rank are posted there creating a parallel Secretariat, said Shukla. Similarly,as against two posts of Member (Judicial) of Secretary Rank officers,the state government has posted five IAS officers of Principal Secretary level and one of Secretary rank there, he said.
