On December 2, 2016, the ACC issued a strange empanelment order to promote A K Saxena to the post of Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), a Secretary-level position. The order stated that the promotion had been approved by the ACC; in the same order, the names of two other officers from the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) had been placed on an "extended panel".
However, the order missed mentioning, by fault or design or both, that Saxena had already retired as Additional CGDA on May 31, 2016, and that no rules exist for the empanelment of a retired officer to the top post. Someone somehow figured out the mistake and no fresh order was issued by the ACC. Subsequently, N Nehisial, another Additional CGDA, was selected from the extended panel and appointed CGDA - a post that he now holds.
The CGDA heads the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) and is responsible for all financial advice, payments, accounting and internal audit of the defense services and other defence-related organizations, such as DRDO, Coast Guard, and the Ordnance factories.
The CGDA's empanelment is usually notified after the file moves from the CGDA to the Ministry, Union Public Service Commission, Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), Cabinet Secretariat and ACC.
On learning about his "empanelment", Saxena wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, who chairs the ACC, and the Defence Ministry seeking "immediate directions" be issued for his appointment.
Officials in the Ministry of Defence said that in his letter dated January 30, 2017, Saxena referred to the December 2 order and wrote: "I have not received any appointment order till date. t is requested that immediate directions may be issued to implement the ACC order."
A copy of the letter was marked to the Defence Minister, the Cabinet Secretary and the Establishment Officer of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), they said.
Strange ACC order and its aftermath
By IndianMandarins - 2017-02-08 11:09:46
On December 2, 2016, the ACC issued a strange empanelment order to promote A K Saxena to the post of Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), a Secretary-level position. The order stated that the promotion had been approved by the ACC; in the same order, the names of two other officers from the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) had been placed on an "extended panel".
However, the order missed mentioning, by fault or design or both, that Saxena had already retired as Additional CGDA on May 31, 2016, and that no rules exist for the empanelment of a retired officer to the top post. Someone somehow figured out the mistake and no fresh order was issued by the ACC. Subsequently, N Nehisial, another Additional CGDA, was selected from the extended panel and appointed CGDA - a post that he now holds.
The CGDA heads the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) and is responsible for all financial advice, payments, accounting and internal audit of the defense services and other defence-related organizations, such as DRDO, Coast Guard, and the Ordnance factories.
The CGDA's empanelment is usually notified after the file moves from the CGDA to the Ministry, Union Public Service Commission, Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), Cabinet Secretariat and ACC.
On learning about his "empanelment", Saxena wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, who chairs the ACC, and the Defence Ministry seeking "immediate directions" be issued for his appointment.
Officials in the Ministry of Defence said that in his letter dated January 30, 2017, Saxena referred to the December 2 order and wrote: "I have not received any appointment order till date. t is requested that immediate directions may be issued to implement the ACC order."
A copy of the letter was marked to the Defence Minister, the Cabinet Secretary and the Establishment Officer of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), they said.
