Miffed Kejriwal calls 2nd meet with key body over officers’ transfers

CM Kejriwal says the chief secretary, in collusion with the Delhi LG, are transferring officers violating his elected government & relevant rules

NEW DELHI | Updated: 21 June, 2023 10:39 am IST
CM Arvind Kejriwal's government is engaging in a bitter feud with Centre-appointed LG over transfer and posting of officers.

NEW DELHI: Expressing discontentment and annoyance with the initial gathering of the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA), Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has called upon the chief secretary and principal home secretary for further discussions concerning the transfer and postings of officers in Delhi.
The second meeting is scheduled to convene on June 28.

In May, the NCCSA was established by the Central government through an ordinance which was promulgated to overturn a Supreme Court order that granted the Delhi government the authority over service rules.

Since then, ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has mounted a political campaign to defeat the ordinance in the upcoming session of parliament.

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According to the NCCSA’s structure, consisting of three members, namely the chief minister, chief secretary, and principal home secretary, decisions on service rules will be made based on majority agreement.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal revealed that he had received numerous complaints from officers stating that the services department was selectively and arbitrarily processing requests for transfers and postings. Many officers claimed that their transfer requests have been left unanswered by the department for an extended period.

Kejriwal, who serves as the chairperson of the NCCSA, highlighted an incident where a proposal for disciplinary action against an officer was submitted to him. However, when he inquired about the proposal, the chief secretary disregarded the chief minister and the NCCSA entirely.

“The chief secretary and the Lieutenant Governor collaborated to take actions that contravened the NCCSA’s mandate. In a blatant violation of Section 45F(1) of the Centre’s ordinance and established constitutional practices, the chief secretary disregarded the CM’s instructions for additional information and bypassed both the CM and the NCCSA. Subsequently, upon the chief secretary’s advice, the Lieutenant Governor dismissed the CM and NCCSA’s authority and issued an order to suspend the officer,” Kejriwal stated.

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Kejriwal has now returned the file and instructed the chief secretary, who serves as the member-secretary of the NCCSA, to compile and present all the transfer requests falling within the aforementioned three categories.

Furthermore, CM Kejriwal has directed that all transfer requests received by the services department over the past six months, whether pending or rejected, must be submitted to his office no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, June 21. In an endeavor to promote transparency and accountability, it has been mandated that the reasons for rejection or pending status be clearly stated for each request.

The meeting, scheduled for June 28, will be held at the CM camp office, where discussions will be conducted regarding the transfer and postings of officials in Delhi. His objective is to streamline and expedite the process, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative machinery in the national capital.

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