LG shuffles IAS pack, 14 officers transferred

It was the first major bureaucratic reshuffle after Anil Baijal was appointment as the new LG

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has transfered Health Secretary Chandraker Bharti, who has been at loggerheads with the AAP government over several issues including a ban on Chinese Manja and his “absence in key meetings”.

It was the first major bureaucratic reshuffle after Anil Baijal was appointment as the new LG. Baijal transferred and posted 14 other IAS officers, giving them new responsibilities in different departments in the Delhi government.

The order to this effect was issued by the services department on Wednesday.

The Lieutenant Governor has appointed Bharti as the Secretary of Environment and Forest. Bharti, a 1996-batch IAS officer, earlier had additional charge of this department.

Delhi Health Secretary is known as the blue-eyed boy of former LG Najeeb Jung and he deliberately missed Health Minister Satyender Jain’s meetings held under the same roof.

Bharti has made news for no good reasons. His list of controversies started when he was first caught for the postponement of the draft about Chinese manja ban. The second instance that created controversy was when he was on leave during the major outbreak of chikungunya and dengue in the national Capital.

Bharti has also presented a reason behind his absence when the dengue and chikungunya outbreak was at its peak. He claims that his wife was operated and he was sick too.

LG Baijal has posted IAS officer Madhup Vyas, a 2000batch IAS officer, as the new Health Secretary in the Delhi government.

Last August, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had demanded the then Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to remove Bharti, who was then the Environment Secretary, for a delay in issuing a notification banning Chinese manja. However, the demand was ignored.

In December as well, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain had slammed Bharti for allegedly refusing to go with the latter to LNJP Hospital following report of a death allegedly due to negligence.

“There is a death in LNH due to negligence. I requested Secretary health to reach hospital with me. He refused to come saying unavailability of car,” Jain had tweeted after the incident.

Jain had also accused the officer of not “attending the important meetings”.

Other 13 IAS officers who have been transferred or posted are Special Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Akash Mohapatra, Special Commissioner (Trade & Taxes) P R Meena, Secretary (Languages) N K Sharma.

Mohapatra and Meena have been posted as Special Commissioner (Trade & Taxes) and Special Secretary (PWD) respectively. Sharma will now look after the charge of Special Secretary (Urban Development).

Juhi Mukherjee, 2007 IAS batch , deputy Commissioner, New Delhi holding additional Charge of Secreatary Sahitya Kala parishad has been transferred and posted as CEO, NDMC Smart City on deputation. Garima Gupta, 2004 batch IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South MCD is repatriated and posted as Director (Higher education)-cum-special Secretary, Education.