LS Sec Gen gets extension, draws flak from Sushma

New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) T K Vishwanathan, who was made
the Lok Sabha(Upper House of Indian Parliament) Secretary
General last year after his retirement as Law Secretary, has
got one year's extension in the post, an action that came in
for sharp criticism from Leader of the Opposition Sushma
Swaraj Tuesday.
Speaker Meira Kumar gave the extension to 63-year-old
Vishwanathan from Tuesday and Swaraj shot off a letter to her,
saying his behaviour and conduct was "not upto the mark" for
the high post.
"The conduct and behaviour of the present Secretary
General is not upto the mark for this post," Swaraj said
adding there were two more reasons for her objection to the
extension given to Vishwanathan.
Vishwanathan does not belong to the Lok Sabha Secretariat
service and has worked for two decades in the Union Ministry
of Law and Justice since 1988 and was Advisor to the Union
Minister for Law and Justice from November 2009 to September
2010. He retired as Law Secretary in October 2009.
"You did not hold a formal meeting with the Leader of the
Opposition and the Leader of the House on extending the tenure
of the present Secretary General. Holding informal talks on
this cannot be an alternative for a formal meeting. It is a
must for the three to sit together before the decision,"
Swaraj said.
Swaraj also feels only an employee of the Parliament
Secretariat should be appointed to the post.
When asked about Swaraj's letter, the Speaker told
reporters that "it is unethical for me to comment on it".
Vishwanathan declined to comment on the contoversy.