Ranchi, Feb. 27: Neelkanth Singh Munda, the energy department?s parliamentary secretary, relinquished his office yesterday because he ?was without work?.

The resignation is the second one, among the four parliamentary secretaries, in the past three months. Ashok Bhagat, parliamentary secretary of the health department, had quit in November because a parliamentary secretary had no work.

On Sunday morning, Neelkanth met chief minister Arjun Munda and expressed his intention to resign. But, sources said, Munda requested the secretary to ?have patience?. The same evening, while the secretary left for Patna, one of aides went to the chief minister?s residence with the resignation.

?I tendered my resignation due to personal reasons. Neither have I any regrets nor do I have any grievances. I had repeatedly requested the chief minister to relieve me as I was without work. I can work better in the capacity of an ordinary MLA,? said Neelkanth over the telephone. Sources said the secretary, like the previous one, was unhappy because there was no work to be done as a parliamentary secretary.

Less than seven months ago, the chief minister had appointed four parliamentary secretaries ? energy, health, travel affairs and labour employment and training.

The move, as sources said, was a ploy to silence the dissenting senior BJP legislators who could not be accommodated in the council of ministers. The parliamentary secretaries were made the in-charge of the departments, which were directly being headed by the chief minister.

But officials in the departments concerned used to directly interact with the chief minister and not with the secretaries. Even Munda had reportedly made no attempts to redirect this workflow.

Parliamentary secretaries Upendra Nath Das (labour employment and training) and Loknath Mahto (travel affairs) have also expressed disagreements at the current situation.