Chief secretary informs EC of expenditure on facilities for parl secys

NEW DELHI: In fresh trouble for 21 AAP MLAs appointed as parliamentary secretaries by the Kejriwal government, Delhi chief secretary KK Sharma has apprised the Election Commission of expenditure incurred by exchequer on “extending various facilities” given to the legislators.

However, the Kejriwal government has maintained that these 21 parliamentary secretaries do not hold an ‘office of profit’.

Sharma has submitted his report on September 22 to EC on facilities extended to 21 AAP legislators being parliamentary secretaries.

As per the report, Public Works Department (PWD) spent `11,75,828 on 21 executive chairtables, 136 visitors chairs for 21 rooms allotted in Delhi assembly for parliamentary secretaries while the assembly had approved `13,26,300 for this.

The report also stated that one room each allotted in various Delhi Jal Board (DJB) offices to Praveen Kumar, Sharad Chauhan, Adarsh Shastri, Madan Lal, Sarita Singh while Naresh Yadav, Jarnail Singh and Rajesh Rishi were alloted two rooms each. It further stated that various rooms were allotted to MLAs in various government bodies’ offices.

On September 8, Delhi High Court had set aside the Delhi government order appointing 21 AAP MLAs as parliamentary secretaries on the ground that it was issued without the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor.

The detailed report of the chief secretary comes after he sought details from over 100 departments of Delhi government to submit their reports on extending facilities to 21 parliamentary secretaries.