Jharkhand minister appoints top official on ‘letter pad’, kicks off row

Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta has landed in a row after he allegedly “appointed” state health secretary, which, according to people familiar with the matter, is in violation of the rulebook.

The matter came to light after Jamshedpur (East) MLA Saryu Roy posted an executive order signed by the health minister Banna Gupta, appointing National Health Mission (NHM) director in Jharkhand, Aloke Trivedi, as the state’s health secretary in-charge.

“Health minister Banna Gupta’s order is illegal and must be repealed immediately. Only the CM has the power to appoint secretaries or give additional charge to any bureaucrat. The chief secretary has this power for only 39 days on an ad hoc basis,” Roy said in his post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, tagging Gupta’s order, and “alerting” chief minister Hemant Soren.

CM Soren or his office were not immediately available for comment.

Gupta did not respond to calls and messages to his mobile number.

The health secretary’s post has been lying vacant since Arun Singh retired in December 31.

Gupta issued an order, signed by himself, on January 16, declaring that the NHM mission director Aloke Trivedi has been given the additional charge of the health secretary.

Congress in-charge of Jharkhand, Rajesh Thakur, said they were looking into the matter and will seek explanation from the health minister. “It’s matter of the government and CM is the best person to respond. We will ask Gupta to explain. Nonetheless, an important post like health secretary should not be left vacant for long,” Thakur told HT on Thursday.

State BJP president Babulal Marandi sought immediate withdrawal of Gupta’s order. “As per executive rulebook, the CM and chief secretary are authorised for such appointments. Yet, health minister Banna Gupta appointed Aloke Trivedi as health secretary in-charge. Several such decisions are being taken by the health department throwing rules to the winds,” Marandi wrote on X.

After Saryu Roy flagged the issue on Wednesday, the health department issued a notification to the same effect.

However, a retired IAS officer, who was earlier the chief secretary himself, said, “One illegal order is being covered by another.”

“The minister first comes out with an executive order on his own letter pad and then health department comes out with a notification. Executive orders can be issued by secretaries of the government only,” he said, requesting anonymity.

In a late night notification, Jharkhand personnel, administrative reforms and rajbhasa handed over the additional charge of principal secretary of the state health, medical education and family welfare to the principal secretary of the state rural works department Ajay Kumar Singh, effectively nullifying the posting of Aloke Trivedi as the health secretary by the state health minister Banna Gupta though an executive order on January 16.

This is not the first time Gupta has courted controversy.

Earlier, he came under fire for purchasing a new car for himself. The then health secretary, Dr Nitin Mohan Kulkarni, had objected to his proposal to buy a new car. Subsequently, the car purchase proposal was included in the agenda of the RIMS governing council, which was later revoked after a public outcry.