AAP MLAs demand suspension of Delhi’s top three bureaucrats

The demand was raised in the Delhi assembly amid a discussion on report by the petitions committee of House titled ”Sabotaging the functioning of OPD counters in Delhi government hospitals at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor”.

Aam Aadmi Party legislators on Wednesday demanded the suspesion of three top state bureaucrats -- - chief secretary Naresh Kumar, finance secretary AC Verma and health secretary Amit Singla -- accusing them of sabotaging government projects to be implemented by Delhi Jal Board, and delaying salaries of Mohalla Clinic doctors, Civil Defence volunteers and bus marshals.

New Delhi, Jan 18 (ANI): Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia speaks during the last day of the Winter Session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) (Delhi Government)

The demand was raised in the Delhi assembly amid a discussion on report by the petitions committee of House titled ”Sabotaging the functioning of OPD counters in Delhi government hospitals at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor”.

The Delhi government and the LG are engaged in a tussle over the bureacracy, with the AAP alleging that senior state officials were not cooperating with the elected dispensation under orders from LG office. The Supreme Court and the Centre are also fighting a legal battle in the Supreme Court over who controls the bureaucracy in Delhi -- a Union Territory with an elected government.

“There are dozens of works which have been disrupted, but the chief secretary told the (petitions) committee that he was not aware of these matters. We showed them newspaper clipping over the last three months but the head of Delhi’s bureaucracy told us that he does not read the newspapers daily,” said Saurabh Bhardwaj, AAP MLA from Greater Kailash and a member of the petitions committee.

He added that the petitions committee on January 17, recorded confidential depositions of several Delhi government officials under the rules of procedure and conduct of business in legislative assembly of Delhi. The petitions committee report says that “many officers were threatened by the chief secretary at the behest of the lieutenant governor”.

Bhardwaj also said the finance secretary has been stalling various works in the city but LG VK Saxena has not acted against him. “Pensions for poor have not been paid since October but no action has been taken. The committee has concluded that principal secretary health, principal secretary finance and chief secretary Naresh Kumar are part of this conspiracy. We appeal to the President of India to take action against Naresh Kumar and LG VK Saxena,” Bhardwaj said.

Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, the committee chairman, said that the posts of data entry operators were discontinued leading to shutting down of OPD counters at various state government hospitals, which led to incovenience to patients.

While the other two officials could not be reached for a comment, the staff officer at chief secretary Naresh Kumar’s office said that they have sought records of the January 17 meeting from the assembly secretariat. According to a communication sent to the assembly secretariat by the chief secretary’s office, “During the sitting, it was decided by the chairman of the committee that questionnaire will be shared with this office for providing a factual report on the questionnaire. It is threfore requested to provide the questionnaire to enable this office to submit factual report.”