Meghalaya Government Appointed MS Rao As New Chief Secretary

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: In a surprise move, the Meghalaya Government on Monday appointed MS Rao as the Chief Secretary of the State superseding Hector Marwein.

Marwein is a 1985 IAS batch of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, while Rao is of the 1987 batch.

Both are currently, Additional Chief Secretaries. Rao, apart from being the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management department, is also the Chairman, Board of Revenue.

“On assumption of charge as Chief Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, MS Rao shall also function as State Vigilance Commissioner, Meghalaya and continue to function as Chairman, Board of Revenue,” a notification from the Joint Secretary, Personnel & AR (A) Department said.

It may be mentioned that the incumbent Chief Secretary PS Thangkhiew, will be retiring on December 31, 2019.

Meanwhile, Marwein has written to the Chief Secretary, against supercession to the post.

In the letter to Thangkhiew, he said that the post of Chief Secretary in the state has always been given to the senior most IAS officer serving in the state.

“Therefore the undersigned feels that he has been wrongfully denied of this post in the fag-end of his administrative career,” Marwein said.

Urging the state government to reconsider its decision, so that he may rightfully be given the post of Chief Secretary to which he is entitled to as per seniority and past precedent in the state.

In the letter to the current Chief Secretary, Marwein said that he had served for 34 years in various capacity in the state government without any blemish in his administrative record.

“It is therefore distressing that the undersigned has been superseded without any valid reason,” Marwein said.

He also said that he had upheld the highest standard of moral and ethical behaviour during his 34 years in service and now has only about eight months to serve in the government.

“It is understood that a lot of baseless rumours about the personal behaviour has been circulated so as to undermine his rightful claim to the post of Chief Secretary,” Marwein said.

He said that this supersession has set an unhealthy precedent in the state as it will allow for unhealthy competition among officers for securing this highest post in the government administrative machinery in future.

Also Watch: Anti-CAA protests: Senior Citizens from Naharkatia stage protest along with AASU