india

Updated: Apr 05, 2019 23:16 IST

The Election Commission of India on Friday night transferred Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Anil Chandra Punetha, just five days before the Lok Sabha polls in the state — a move that has been severely criticised by TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu .

According to EC orders, senior IAS officer of 1983 batch, LV Subrahmanyam will take over as the new chief secretary. Subrahmanyam, currently special chief secretary of youth services and culture department, will assume charge on Saturday.

The EC ordered that Punetha, a 1984-batch IAS officer, keep himself out of the election-related duties until the entire poll process is completed on May 23.

The sudden development follows Punetha’s defiance of the EC orders issued on March 26, transferring DGP (intelligence) AB Venkateshwara Rao along with two SPs– A Venkata Ratnam of Srikakulam and Rahul Dev Sharma of Kadapa. Punetha, who initially issued orders transferring the three cops following the EC directions, modified the orders the following day retaining the intelligence chief in the same post.