Officers caught in Delhi LG-AAP tussle see tightrope ahead

Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement that officers who hampered the government’s work will have to “pay for their deeds”, has sparked a buzz among civil servants.

As the Supreme Court pronounced its judgment regarding administrative services in Delhi, the bureaucrats deputed in the national capital said that they will abide by the top court’s order even as they underlined fear of being caught in the middle of the crossfire between the elected government and the lieutenant governor.

While some officials said that the days ahead are likely to be turbulent for the bureaucracy serving the Delhi government, others said the loyalty of the bureaucracy might shift to the chief minister. (HT Archive)

While some officials said that the days ahead are likely to be turbulent for the bureaucracy serving the Delhi government, others said the loyalty of the bureaucracy might shift to the chief minister.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement that officers who hampered the government’s work will have to “pay for their deeds”, has sparked a buzz among civil servants as to who might be at the receiving end of these decisions.

“As bureaucrats, it is our duty to abide by the Constitution and the laws of the land to serve the state. The SC judgment is binding on everyone under Article 141 of the Constitution of India,” said K Mahesh a 2009 batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre and the honorary president, Delhi Administration Officers’ Academic Forum. Mahesh is also the special director of Union Territory Civil Services.

At least two other senior officers said functioning in the Delhi government as bureaucrats remains a tough task.

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“It is like walking a tightrope. The officials have been the unseen victims of the Centre versus Delhi government battle and when the faceoff gets bitter, we have to suffer because we are misunderstood to be loyal to either one of the centres of power. The officials who have been serving in Delhi for the last year carry that baggage and may face a challenging time ahead as some might be misunderstood as being loyal to the LG,” said an official of the Delhi government, requesting anonymity.

A second official, who also requested anonymity, said the situation may be turbulent for a couple of months but will stabilise soon. “After the Aam Aadmi Party government transfers and posts officers of their liking, there might be fewer confrontations, unless the bureaucrats are forced to do something which demands circumventing the rules,” said the official.

“Since Delhi is a union territory, many files related to different departments have to be sent to the LG for approval. The routing of files has also been a point of contention between the LG and the Delhi government and the officers are blamed for it. It takes a toll on the morale of the officers and their productivity,” said a third IAS officer, requesting anonymity.