Kejriwal promises ‘big’ bureaucratic reshuffle after SC verdict, warns officials

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal warned that officers involved in obstructing the people’s work will have to suffer

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday promised “a very big” administrative reshuffle for a responsible, lean, thin, compassionate, accountable, and sympathetic administration and said officers involved in obstructing the people’s work will have to suffer.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI)

Referring to the Supreme Court’s verdict earlier in the day that Delhi’s elected government will have the control of bureaucrats in the Capital, he said they have got a “huge opportunity” to work.

“Now the work in Delhi will progress at 10 times the speed,” he said. “A very big administrative reshuffle will take place in the next few days.”

He said transfers will be made on the basis of the work the officers have done. “Some officers, who in the last one and a half years obstructed the work of the people of Delhi, stopped the supply of medicines to mohalla clinics and hospitals, stopped water supply at some places...will have to suffer,” Kejriwal said at a press conference organised in view of the Supreme Court order.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has blamed top officials including chief secretary Naresh Kumar, and principal secretary (finance) Ashish Chandra Verma for obstructing its work.

A Delhi assembly panel in January asked the President and Union home ministry to take action against the chief secretary for “creating an atmosphere of fear” in the Delhi government and “actively preventing officers from performing their duties.”

HT reached out to Kumar and Verma for their responses to Kejriwal’s comments. But there were no immediate responses.

Kejriwal said many officers felt suffocated and added they will now get the opportunity to work. “The deadwood and corrupt officers would be shunted, and those who are good, efficient and honest, and compassionate will get the opportunity to serve. All administrative systems will be improved to make them responsive to the people.”

He promised all faults of the system will be fixed. “It will be made accountable to the people... We will develop a model of governance the way we have the model in healthcare and education.”

Kejriwal said that the Delhi government now has the vigilance department under its command and it will hold officers involved in wrongdoings accountable.

He added the government will abolish redundant posts. “Officers occupying such posts only create obstacles in the work of the people. Such posts will be identified and left vacant or abolished. More posts will be created in departments where they are required like in [health] for mohalla clinics.”