Chennai: The retired director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), RK Raghavan, has shared his views on the row over appointment of Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram as an additional director the CBI. He has termed the whole incident as a very unfortunate case. He says that Archana Ramasundaram worked with him and is a fine officer. However, he feels that the Centre-State relation is more important than the appointment of an individual.
Here's full text of his interview to CNN-IBN.
On the Centre-state tussle over appointment of Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram to CBI:
"The whole thing is an unfortunate episode. Seldom do you come across such a tussle -this time it has gone beyond certain limits. There have been minor tussles between centre and state with regard to officers going on deputation but this has assumed ugly proportions. This is not dissimilar to what happened in Gujarat recently where an IPS officer was taken by the Centre without the consent of the state government. I was myself surprised. I checked the rules - initially it was a question of concurrence of state and Centre and without the concurrence of state, an IPS cannot be taken into the Centre. But in the past few years...there is a provision whereby the Centre can suo motu take an officer on deputation from the states even if the state government refuses to give concurrence.
"Technically speaking the Centre is right by asking Archana Ramasundaram to take over. Technically. But then such kind of hair splitting is not conducive to the morale of All India Service officers. The state government had given consent for Ramasundaram for empanelment. She was chosen by adopting due process. So by giving consent, so possibly it should have called it up by releasing her. If they haven't released her they have their reasons for it. You can't fault the state for it. But fundamentally speaking, this is an unfortunate thing and the whole thing ending with the suspension of the officer leaves a bad taste in the mouth. So people who shout from rooftops saying we should maintain morale of officers, this is one instance where it shows that no All India Service officer can serve without absolute freedom or fear. Both the Centre and the state should share the blame for it."
On state not wanting to send officers on Central deputation because they don't want to lose their best cops
"Archana is a very good officer. She worked for me. I have seen her in the state and Centre. On merit she deserved it. State governments generally feel that the best officers go on deputation and as a result they are deprived of their services."
On CVC recommendation being ignored
"I wrote about it- it is strange that the CVC has recommended only one name. I wrote about it. He should give a panel. That's how I was appointed. That is the convention. CVC prepares a panel of three names. It goes to the appointments committee of the cabinet headed by the PM and Home Minister. Here he gave only one name. The PM was well within his right to turn it down. Second time also CVC stuck to its guns saying he will recommend only RK Pachnanda who is junior to Archana. I thought Archana is a good candidate. If you make the process so rigid, saying the appointments committee of the Cabinet will only have to go by the CVC, then there is no application of mind at all. Then a political executive doesn't have the discretion to appoint whoever it concerns as long as it adopts the procedure prescribed. Then it is very strange to take exception of any officer."
On it being a political appointment
"I don't think it's correct. This is hanging for a while. This is not a fresh appointment. The whole procedure has been observed. Unless the Supreme Court turns it down, I don't know what the sc's views on the matter are - I won't like to comment. I think the Centre is well within its right asking her to join. Of course there is a bitterness. They have ignored the state government which is not good for the Centre-state relations. It is a moot question whether the Centre should have magnified the whole thing, doing this is in a hurry, particularly which is more important? The Centre-state relations or the appointment of an individual officer? Certainly Centre-state relations take precedence over any other. Here the Centre is wrong in trying to hustle through this. But the Centre was also guilty when the Gujarat officer was appointed without the consent of the state CM. That had political overtones. Here I don't think there are political overtones - it is a straightforward appointment".
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