Date:14/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/14/stories/2006051406630800.htm

National

Charge against Home Secretary

K. Balchand

Report passes strictures; Bihar Opposition seeks his removal

PATNA: The appointment of Afzal Amanullah as the Bihar Home Secretary has generated controversy, with Opposition parties demanding his removal charging that a committee of the State Legislative Council had recently indicted him in one of its reports.

Strictures passed

Samata Party chief P.K. Sinha on Saturday alleged that the Assurance Committee of the Upper House in its report tabled last month had passed strictures against Mr. Amanullah for his role in allowing a doctor, who had forged his birth certificate, to continue as the head of the Department of Surgery in the Patna Medical College Hospital in 2000.

Mr. Sinha, who had headed the enquiry panel, charged that Mr. Amanullah had utterly disregarded the opinion of the Law Department and the Advocate-General and not only reappointed A.Q. Siddiqui as the head of the Surgery Department, but did not take any action against the latter.

The Council report accused Mr. Amanullah of misleading the committee and conspiring to protect Mr. Siddiqui and demanded suitable action against him.

Mr. Sinha said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was present in the House when the report was tabled and that he had subsequently asked Mr. Kumar to take action against Mr. Amanullah.

Mr. Sinha said he was surprised that Mr. Kumar, instead of taking action, had through his action protected and rewarded Mr. Amanullah.