Chief Secretary issues notice to KPTCL MD for skipping key energy review meetings

Bengaluru

Chief Secretary of Karnataka Shalini Rajneesh has issued a notice to Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Managing Director of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), seeking an explanation for his alleged absence from three crucial review meetings related to the State’s energy sector. The notice was reportedly served on January 23.

Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) told blrpost.com that the Chief Secretary sought clarity from the senior IAS officer over his repeated non-attendance at meetings considered vital for monitoring power transmission and energy-related projects in the State. The sources confirmed that Pandey has since submitted a formal response to the notice.

The absence of a top bureaucrat from multiple high-level review meetings is seen as highly unusual in administrative circles and had raised several questions within the government ranks. The meetings, sources said, were part of routine but critical reviews aimed at assessing the progress of key energy initiatives and addressing operational challenges faced by the power transmission utility.

In his reply to the show-cause notice, Pandey cited personal and official reasons for his inability to attend the meetings. He informed the Chief Secretary that one of his close blood relatives was suffering from adverse health conditions, which required his attention during the relevant period. Additionally, he stated that he was required to attend another important official meeting in New Delhi, which coincided with the scheduled review sessions in Bengaluru.

Sources in the CMO indicated that the explanation submitted by Pandey was found to be satisfactory by the Chief Secretary. Officials from the Chief Secretary’s office confirmed that the matter has now been closed. “The issue stands concluded after the officer furnished a formal explanation to the notice,” informed Rajneesh’s office. 

Despite the closure of the issue, the episode has fueled speculation about possible unease within the higher echelons of the State administration. Rumours of differences and factionalism among senior bureaucrats have been circulating in recent weeks. However, sources declined to divulge details or confirm the exact nature of any internal discord among top officials.

For now, the government has maintained that the matter is resolved, with no further action contemplated against the KPTCL Managing Director.