Kejriwal-led AAP govt seeks Centre’s nod for PK Gupta as Delhi chief secretary

Gupta, if appointed, will replace Naresh Kumar of the 1987 batch, serving as the chief secretary of Delhi since April 2022. Kumar is due to retire later this year

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has sought the central government’s approval to appoint Praveen Kumar Gupta as the new chief secretary of Delhi, a government official aware of the development said.

1989 batch IAS officer Praveen Kumar Gupta (HT Photo/Sourced)

“Through the lieutenant governor of Delhi, CM Arvind Kejriwal has requested the nod of the Centre for the appointment of PK Gupta as the new chief secretary. Gupta will replace Naresh Kumar if the Centre considers the request,” the Delhi government official quoted above said. Kumar, a 1987 batch IAS officer, serving as the chief secretary of Delhi since April 2022, is due to retire later this year.

The move comes days after the Delhi government was given executive power in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, in an important verdict by the Supreme Court.

Gupta, a 1989 batch IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories (AGMUT) Cadre, is currently posted as the additional chief secretary of the general administration department of the Delhi government. He has also served as the commissioner of the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).

Gupta, if appointed, will replace Naresh Kumar of the 1987 batch, serving as the chief secretary of Delhi since April 2022. Kumar is due to retire later this year.

Speaking to HT, senior IAS officers said that the appointment of Delhi’s chief secretary is the prerogative of the central government as Delhi does not have its own cadre of IAS officers.

The IAS officers serving in the Delhi government are drawn from the AGMUT cadre which is controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and their posting to the Delhi government is decided by the Union home ministry.

“The central government is not bound to consider the request of the Delhi chief minister with regards to the chief secretary’s appointment,” said one of the officers.

Meanwhile, the Civil Services Board (CSB) on Wednesday cleared the transfer of the Delhi government’s secretary of the services department Ashish More, and the appointment of AK Singh as his replacement, officials said on Wednesday.

More was removed by the Delhi government last week within hours of the Supreme Court ruling. On Monday, he was also issued a show cause notice by the Delhi government for not complying with its direction to replace him with a new officer.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that the elected government in Delhi has legislative and executive powers over services department matters, barring those related to land, police and public order that still come under the jurisdiction of the lieutenant governor.

Earlier, the transfers and postings of all Delhi government officers were decided by the lieutenant governor.