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Updated: Jan 09, 2020 10:00 IST

Speaking on the controversy over attempt to divest him of the charge of criminal investigation department (CID), Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has said that Chief Minister is supreme, but for this to happen, there are procedures to be followed.

“Chief Minister is supreme. He can take charge of the CID if he wants to. But, for that it has to be approved in cabinet then in Vidhan Sabha,” Vij said on Thursday.

A controversy erupted on Tuesday when the official website of the state assembly cited the chief minister as holding the charge of the CID, the intelligence arm of the state government. While there was no notification issued by the government to make this change, the recent episodes of home minister pulling up the CID and expressing displeasure over its functioning formed the backdrop of the move.

The change on the website indicated that the chief minister’s office thinks of the CID as a separate department while it is actually not, sources privy to the development said.

As per the Business of the Haryana Government (Allocation) Rules, 1974, the Governor, on the advice of the chief minister, can allot among the ministers the business of the government by assigning one or more departments to charge of a minister.

Also, the chief minister can assign a single department to more than one minister. But, in this case, the government will have to amend the Allocation Rules to define CID as a separate department. The least the government can do is to get a fresh portfolio notification issued conveying that Anil Vij will hold the charge of home portfolio except the CID wing.

Vij, who had expressed displeasure over the functioning of the CID, earlier said, “A mere mention on a website does not divest me of the charge of the CID. The CID is an integral part of home portfolio and the allocation of business rules testify that. The CM has the authority to reallocate any department to a minister. But then, a process has to be followed to do so. The governor has to issue a notification on the advice of the chief minister to reallocate a department. There is none as of now,” the state home minister had said.

When asked whether he would take up this issue with Khattar, Vij said it was not required as practically, nothing had changed.

“Unless the allocation of business gets amended by the council of ministers, CID remains with the home minister,” the home minister had added.

The state government on Wednesday constituted a committee to be led by additional chief secretary, home, Vijai Vardhan, to suggest changes and modifications in order to improve the functioning of the CID. Two senior IPS officers, director general (vigilance) KP Singh and commandant general, home guard and civil defence, PR Deo, are members of the panel. The committee constituted on the directions of Vij reinforced his claim as the boss of the CID.