Delhi govt seeks centre’s nod to appoint p k gupta as the new chief secretary

Delhi govt seeks centre’s nod to appoint p k gupta as the new chief secretary

Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj issues directions that no orders pertaining to employees will be passed by the Chief Secretary or the Services Department without his approval.

The ongoing tussle between the elected dispensation and the bureaucracy intensified on Thursday with the Delhi government seeking the Centre’s approval to appoint 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service officer P.K. Gupta as the new Chief Secretary, replacing incumbent Naresh Kumar.

Thursday’s order is the latest in a series of reshuffles effected by the Delhi government following the May 11 Supreme Court judgment that handed over the reins of the Services Department to the elected dispensation.

Mr. Gupta is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the General Administration Department (GAD). The government said it has forwarded the proposal via the Lieutenant-Governor’s office for the Centre’s approval.

The L-G’s office, however, did not comment on the issue.

Mr. Kumar, a 1987-batch Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre officer, was appointed the Chief Secretary of Delhi on April 21 last year. He is due to retire later this year. Mr. Kumar was involved in the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is currently in jail in connection with the same case.

The L-G had recommended a probe by the CBI after a report by Mr. Kumar. Investigation into the ‘feedback unit’ by the CBI — another case involving Mr. Sisodia — was also launched following Mr. Kumar’s report.

‘Attempt to obstruct’

Within hours of the SC’s verdict, Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had issued orders to remove the Department Secretary, Ashish More, and replace him with A.K. Singh, a 1995-batch IAS officer. The government also divested Special Secretary (Vigilance) Y.V.V.J. Rajasekhar of all work and cases on May 13, accusing him of “running an extortion racket”.

On Thursday, Mr. Bharadwaj, however, said despite having sent the file to the L-G on Wednesday to replace the Services Secretary, it has not come back. In a tweet, the Minister said, “Is it yet another attempt to obstruct the functioning of the elected government despite such clear orders of the SC? The GNCTD Amendment Act says that all files need to be sent to the L-G. This Act also needs to be struck down. Else, the L-G will keep delaying government’s work by sitting on files like this.”

Mr. Bharadwaj also issued directions that no orders pertaining to employees will be passed by the Chief Secretary or the Services Department without his approval.

“In supersession of all earlier orders, it is hereby directed that no orders for any category of employees shall be passed by the Chief Secretary or Services Secretary without the approval of the undersigned,” he said in the order.