Notwithstanding Chief Secretary G S Kang's intransigence and continued absence from office, Bihar Governor Buta Singh on Friday ruled out the possibility of appointing a new chief secretary during the absence of the state's topmost bureaucrat.

"The CS is on leave. How can I appoint a new CS in his place. Officers go on leave and rejoin,'' he told reporters.

''No work will be allowed to get hampered in the absence of Kang and as per rules of the executive business and practice, the secretaries of departments now send the files directly to me and I, being the chief administrator of the state under President's rule, will clear them on a priority basis,'' he said in reply to a question.

When his attention was drawn to the National Democratic Alliances's charge that the rules of executive business were thrown to the wind by him while effecting the reshuffle in the police administration, Singh said, ''I am aware of my functions and responsibilities.''

Reasserting his authority as governor of a state under President's rule, Singh said "I being the representative of the President, am discharging my duties as chief administrator in the absence of a political head of state."

"All powers of a chief minister are vested in me. I can take any decision in the interest of the state and I have put my seal of approval on the recent transfer of IPS officers," Singh said, defending his decision.