Delhi will suffer if services is under L-G, says Kejri
NEWDELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that the Lieutenant Governor keeping the services department with him even after the Supreme Court verdict is going to further “disrupt” development works of the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Kejriwal on Friday went to meet L-G Anil Baijal with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, hoping that the elected government would be given control over the services department, which deals with transfers and postings of officers. But, the duo had to return disappointed as the L-G refused to interpret the SC order in the same way as the elected government.
“The L-G said that the May 2015 home ministry notification, which gives L-G control of ‘services’ still remains valid as the SC did not quash it or mention the reserved subject. If such defiance of clear SC orders continue, functioning in Delhi will be difficult,” Kejriwal said after his meeting with the L-G.
The chief minister said that responsibility of carrying out various development works, such as construction of roads, running the schools, arrangement of water and electricity, lies with the elected government. But the Centre, through the L-G, who is not directly answerable to the people, gets to decide officers who will execute these works, he said.
“For instance, if the education secretary is doing good work under the AAP government, then the Central government would try all means to put up hindrances. Many a time, it has happened that an efficient officer has been removed by the L-G right in the middle of an important project,” Kejriwal said, while adding that politics of vendetta is making Delhiites “suffer”.
Kejriwal said that while the government is exploring legal options with regard to the issue of services, it is not going to issue any fresh order related to the subject.
“The order issued by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday, which empowered the council of ministers to do transfers and postings of officers within the government, is now stuck in a limbo. No fresh order will be issued,” the CM said.
Hours after the Supreme Court’s judgment on Wednesday, the Delhi government had introduced a new system for transfer and postings of bureaucrats, making the chief minister the final approving authority of the subject.
However, the services department refused to comply, saying the Supreme Court had not abolished a May 2015, notification which made the Union home ministry the authority for transfers and postings.
Kejriwal said that a respite amid the rejection on services was that on the topic of “concurrence”. “The SC order states that the L-G is bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers. Files won’t go to the L-G now. Whatever decisions are taken by the Delhi government, it would be conveyed to the L-G. He has agreed that his approval is not needed on all files now. This would help us expedite all projects,” he said.
KEJRIWAL SAID WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS EXPLORING LEGAL OPTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUE OF SERVICES, IT IS NOT GOING TO ISSUE ANY FRESH ORDER RELATED TO THE SUBJECT