Uttarakhand HC summons principal secretary over non-compliance in PTCUL MD case

Nainital, Feb 27 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court has directed Principal Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram to appear before it via video conferencing on March 19 for failing to comply with its previous order.

A single bench of Justice Alok Kumar Verma issued the direction while hearing a contempt petition filed by Dehradun resident Anil Baluni and others.

The petition states that on February 18, 2026, the court quashed the appointment of the managing director (MD) of the Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL).

The state government was directed to reconsider the appointment in accordance with the Uttarakhand Managing Director and Directors Selection and Appointment Procedure Rules, 2021. ​However, the high court's order was not implemented.

In its previous ruling, the high court had invalidated the appointment of Prakash Chandra Dhyani as the managing director of PITCUL, terming it contrary to prescribed rules.

The court found that the appointment violated Rule 9-A of the 2021 regulations, which mandates an engineering degree for the post. Dhyani allegedly does not have this qualification.

The bench observed that the government is at liberty to reconsider the matter, provided any new decision strictly adheres to the 2021 rules. The court further said if any exemptions are granted under these rules, the government must explicitly state how the candidate's qualifications are being treated as equivalent to the required standards. PTI COR DPT AKY