In a first time, Delhi govt gets addl Chief Secretaries

NEW DELHI: In a first, the Delhi government administration has introduced a new post of ‘Additional Chief Secretary’, with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday appointing top Delhi government bureaucrats Manoj Parida and Anindo Majumdar as the additional Chief Secretaries. Currently, Anshu Prakash serves as Chief Secretary.

A letter from the MHA noted that both the appointment would be in the ‘apex post’.

“This will strengthen the bureaucratic control in the Delhi government. The status of both these IAS officials will be as par the Chief Secretary,” said a source in Delhi government.

“With the approval of competent authority, Anindo Majumdar, (IAS, AGMUT 1985), Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Administration is hereby transferred from Andaman and Nicobar Islands to NCT of Delhi with immediate effect,” noted an order in mid-june issued by MHA.

Last week, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the elected government of Delhi had primacy on all issues except land, police, and law and order.

However, the apex court was silent on the issue of services, i.e. the appointment and transfers of bureaucrats.

That left other issues to be addressed by a two-member bench of the court.

On Tuesday, a SC bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra indicated the appeals would be listed next week after Delhi government lawyer Rahul Mehra sought an urgent hearing of the matters.

Since then, both the Aam Aadmi Party-led government and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal have dug in their heels, resulting in a stalemate.

On Tuesday, Baijal and Prakash met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba over the continuing tussle with the AAP government on matters related to services.