PATNA/MUNGER, April 5 -- Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Saturday defended his decision to clear a controversial file transferring posts from the Bihar Revenue Service (BRS) to Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officers, saying he acted solely on instructions from the Chief Minister's Office.

Speaking at a Jan Samvaad (public dialogue) programme on land reforms here, Sinha, who also holds the revenue and land reforms portfolio, said the file was placed before him by principal secretary CK Anil, who cited pressure from the CM's office. He categorically denied any role for his personal assistant, who belongs to the BAS cadre. "I cannot object to or question the discretion of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, under whose leader...