Rajasthan: IAS officer Archana Singh put on APO

Jaipur, Sep 27 (PTI) Rajasthan government has placed senior IAS officer Archana Singh, secretary in the Department of Information Technology and Communication (IT&C), on an awaiting posting order (APO).

The Department of Personnel order cited "administrative reasons" for the move; however, officials familiar with the matter said Singh's removal came in the wake of a major technical glitch during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting in Banswara on Thursday.

When PM Modi reached the stage at the government programme in Napla village, the audio system functioned, but the video screens went blank for nearly 10 minutes, leaving the audience unable to view the live feed.

Earlier, repeated audio-visual disruptions also affected the Prime Minister's proposed interaction with farmers, officials familiar with the development said.

The technical operations for the event were under the purview of the IT&C department, which Singh was heading. Following the incident, the government issued the APO order, shifting her out of the department.

Singh, a 2009-batch IAS officer, will remain on APO until further posting, the order added. PTI AG AMJ AMJ