DELHI CHIEF SECY MOVED TO FIN MIN

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Secretary MM Kutty, who has been at loggerheads with the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government, was on Tuesday appointed as Additional Secretary in the Union Finance Ministry.

Kutty, a 1985 batch IAS officer of union territories cadre, was appointed Chief Secretary of Delhi in November last year.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, an order issued by the personnel ministry said.

He has been appointed in place of Dinesh Sharma, who superannuates on Wednesday, it said.

There have been instances of difference of opinion between Kejriwal and Kutty on various matters, including the Delhi Metro fare hike.

The AAP government had accused Kutty of not complying with Kejriwal's order to examine issues related to the recent metro fare hike, claiming that he was allegedly acting on the BJP'S behest.

Last month too, the chief minister had sought explanation from Kutty over his absence from Lal Bahadur Shastri's birth anniversary event organised by the AAP government.

There had been a dispute between the government and its top bureaucrat on the issue of desilting as well.

The AAP government and the bureaucracy have been at loggerheads on a range of issues, a senior official said.