Delhi Chief Secretary Issue: AAP govt removes officer who issued orders
New Delhi: The row over the appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Delhi Chief Secretary deepened on Saturday after Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Services), Anindo Majumdar from services.
Majumdar had issued orders for the appointment of Gamlin to the post of acting chief secretary on the directions of Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.
Meanwhile, Jung has objected to Majumdar’s removal and his office issued a statement that the decision was taken by the Delhi government without his approval and declared it as void.
About removal of Majumdar, a release issued by the Jung’s office stated that the order “does not have the approval of the Lt Governor, who is the competent authority to transfer officials of that rank. This order is ab-initio void.”
The issue started after Gamlin took charge as the acting Chief Secretary of Delhi despite Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal writing a letter asking her not to join as the acting Chief Secretary.
The Delhi CM had also written a letter to Jung asking him to review his “questionable” decision to appoint Gamlin as the Chief Secretary.
“I am simply aghast by your questionable instructions issued directly to the Pr. Secretary (Services) to post an officer of your choice as the acting Chief Secretary of Delhi. In doing so, you have bypassed the democratically elected government, ” he reportedly wrote.
A release issued by Jung’s office reiterated that the Lt Governor has acted according to the Constitution over Gamlin’s appointment and the Delhi CM was consulted on the matter.
“The delay on the part of the Chief Minister of over 40 hours necessitated a direction from the Lt Governor that orders be issued. It is a given that the office of the Chief Secretary cannot be left vacant. The Chief Secretary is required not just for normal work but for any emergency that may come up,” it said.
Jung had yesterday appointed Gamlin as Delhi Chief Secretary, notwithstanding strong opposition to her nomination by Kejriwal dispensation which alleged that she had close links with BSES discoms. The 1984-batch officer has, however, denied the charges saying they were baseless.
Chief Secretary KK Sharma has left for the US on a personal visit due to which the government had to appoint an acting Chief Secretary. Gamlin is currently serving as Power Secretary.
Meanwhile, Parimal Rai, who was backed by Arvind Kejriwal, declined to become acting Chief Secretary, noting that he respects the Lt Governor’s directions. The Lt Governor yesterday gave the additional charge of Chief Secretary to Gamlin, hours after she wrote a scathing letter to Jung claiming that she was pressured by a senior bureaucrat in CM’s office to withdraw from the race.
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Source:Zeenews
