Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh has denied claims that the appointment of a new permanent secretary for the ministry was influenced by recent disagreements with the former acting permanent secretary.
Mr Singh said there was a recent media report that he had removed the former official from her acting position.
“One thing I must correct is a media report that claimed I removed the acting permanent secretary; that is not true,” he said.
He said the former permanent secretary was serving in an acting role for five months, and the position was properly advertised by the Public Service Commission, giving everyone a fair chance to apply.
“An independent firm was responsible for conducting interviews and selecting the most suitable candidate.”
Dr Vinesh Kumar was eventually appointed to the position, a decision, he said, was thoroughly discussed with the Public Service Commission.
