The sudden transfer of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) secretary A K Maurya from his post has surprised many in the bureaucratic circles on Wednesday.
Maurya, an Indian Forest Service Officer, was shifted as member secretary of Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, a relatively loopline post with no significant powers.
In his place, transport commissioner T Seetha Ramanjaneyulu was given full additional charge as APPSC Secretary.
Generally, a senior IAS officer will be appointed in the post of APPSC secretary, but the previous Telugu Desam Party government headed by N Chandrababu Naidu selected Maurya, an IFS officer, for the post.
Naturally, Maurya had a sort of gratitude for the previous regime.
It was alleged that it was Maurya, who was the man behind the news published by Andhra Jyothy on the alleged leakage of question paper in the Village Secretaries Examination.
He was also allegedly instrumental in passing on information to Andhra Jyothy on the internal differences in the APPSC and based on the inputs given by Maurya, Andhra Jyothy carried the report of an APPSC employee’s family member getting top ranks in the Village Secretaries examination.
The Jagan government, which secretly conducted an internal probe into the affairs of APPSC, came to know that it was Maurya, who was the man behind the alleged leakage of information to Andhra Jyothy.
So, it immediately shifted him to AP Biodiversity Board. It is learnt even chairman Udaya Bhaskar is also being pressurised to quit the post.