PANJIM: Despite a clear cut circular issued by the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar that no close relative can be appointed as secretaries or assistant to the ministers in his Cabinet, Water Resource Minister Vinod Palyekar has “desired to appoint” two of his family members in his office.
Sources in the Secretariat have informed that the Minister has sought to appoint Anand Palyekar, the brother of the minister in his office as well as Pundalik Palyekar, his nephew as a private secretary in the office of minister for WRD.
In fact his nephew is already working as his Personal Assistant who is now sought to be “upgraded” to private Secretary. The Minister’s all powerful accomplice Durgadas Kamat has already moved into a position of Officer on Special Duty.
A note issued on December 12, 2012 by OSD to WRD Minister, NB Narvekar, states “Hon Minister desires to appoint Pundalik Palyekar who is working as Personal Assistant to Minister be appointed as Private Secretary to Minister. Interestingly the minister wants to appoint him with retrospective effect from 18/11/2017, almost a month before this note was issued. The Under Secretary (GA) has been asked “to take note of this and issue necessary orders.”
However it is learnt that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, in light of his stand on ministers not appointing relatives in their offices, hasn’t given his green signal.
Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma said that there was a circular issued in this regards not to appoint close relatives as assistants or secretaries. “When the Cabinet was formed in March, the Chief minister had issued the framework for appointment of secretaries and assistant to the Ministers,” Sharma told Herald when contacted.
When contacted B R Singh, Secretary GAD (General Administration) confirmed that the circular was issued along the same lines. “Yes, there is a circular of the chief minister not to appoint the close relatives of ministers as secretaries and assistants,” he informed Herald.
It has also been noticed that some of the ministers have appointed their spouses as directors on various boards of autonomous bodies.
