Shillong: Advocate Napoleon S. Mawphniang is pushing for a central investigation into the appointment of Harish Chandra Chaudhary. Chaudhary, a 1992-batch Indian Forest Service officer, currently serves as the Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor of Meghalaya. Mawphniang sent an open letter to the President, the Prime Minister, and the Union Home Minister on Tuesday. He wants the government to show the approvals that cleared this role.
The advocate claims the administrative trail is cold. He filed two RTI applications to find the basis for the posting but hit a wall. According to the revised IAS cadre schedule from February 2025, no provision exists for an Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor in Meghalaya. The post only allows for a Commissioner and Secretary.
Chaudhary took the job on October 30 last year. He started as Principal Secretary to the Governor before shifting titles. Records from the Secretariat Administration Department show he is paid as a Principal Secretary. They hold no paperwork for an Additional Chief Secretary position. The Governor’s Secretariat also admitted it has no files on how the post was created or renamed.
Mawphniang cites Rules 9 and 10 of the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954. He insists the state must prove it followed procedure for putting a non-IAS officer in a cadre post. He stated, "I was not alleging personal wrongdoing or declaring the appointment unlawful, but demanded that the government establish its administrative and legal basis through official records."
He now wants the Department of Personnel and Training to audit the appointment. If the clearances are missing, he expects consequences. Mawphniang will appeal his RTI denials and take the fight to the Meghalaya State Information Commission.
Comments