‘Absconding, phone switched off': Delhi govt's show cause notice to IAS officer Ashish More

Ashish More has been issued a show cause notice by the Delhi government for not complying with its direction to replace him with a new officer.

Ashish More, an IAS officer and services department secretary, has been issued a show cause notice by the Delhi government for not complying with its direction to replace him with a new officer and has been threatened disciplinary action against him.

Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. (ANI file)

The Delhi government had removed More from his post last week, hours after the Supreme Court gave the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation control over the transfer and posting of officers in the state.

No reply from More was received on the show cause notice issued to him by services department minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on May 13, said a Delhi government official.

More was unavailable for his comments on the development related to his transfer.

Bhardwaj in a memo to More had sought his reply within 24 hours, over charges against him that he refused to comply with the SC verdict and direction to transfer him.

On Friday, the Delhi government had approached the Supreme Court alleging that the Centre was not implementing the transfer of services secretary More. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had said a bench would be constituted to hear the matter.

“Services Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, instructed Services Secretary, Ashish More, to present a file for the transfer of a new officer to the post of Secretary of Services Department. However, Ashish More unexpectedly left the Secretariat without notifying the minister's office, rendering himself unreachable while his phone also remained switched off,” a statement said.

"The special secretary of the services separtment sent a communication to Saurabh Bhardwaj, indicating that the Home Ministry's notification dated May 21, 2015, has not yet been set aside. Following this, it has been brought to the attention of the Services Secretary that their failure to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court would potentially be considered contempt of court," it said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services and only "public order, police and land" are excluded from its jurisdiction.