Naidu pulls up top officials for absence from meet

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday took strong objection to the absence of Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Commerce Secretary Rahul Kullar and top intelligence officials from the Standing Committee meeting of the home ministry. Friday's meeting was held to discuss a bill on Land and Port Authority.

Since many of the junior officials alone had attended the meeting, Naidu adjourned the meeting to a later date, after taking views from 18 Members of Parliament who were present.

Naidu has plans to complain to Chairman Rajya Sabha Hameed Ansari and also asked Union Home Secretary GK Pillai to bring this to the notice of Union Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar about the mass-scale absence by secretaries

Naidu was upset when he learnt that Rao was deputing a joint secretary to reply to questions by members on the bill.

Rao was in Delhi and avoided appearance.

Similarly, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar, who said he was unwell and deputed a joint secretary.

Naidu learned later that Khullar, though being unwell, was in office.

"Such attitude towards the Parliament committees should be taken seriously, and these officers to be admonished for their casual treatment towards the committees," said Naidu.