LG, Delhi govt in war of words over appointment of consultants

the LG office alleged that the AAP government wants the services ordinance quashed because it wants to run a parallel administration in Delhi

Nearly two weeks after lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena issued directions to terminate the services of private people working as consultants, fellows, and advisers in different departments of Delhi, the LG office on Sunday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government employed 437 individuals, most of whom were found to be party workers, to run a “parallel civil service” while flouting “constitutional norms of reservation”, “manipulating the selection process” and “rigging the selection criterion”. The Delhi government refuted the allegations in entirety.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government and the lieutenant governor’s office have locked horns over the services ordinance promulgated by the Centre. (PTI)

The LG office alleged that the government chose “favoured individuals with dubious qualifications” as fellows for “political propaganda” and some of these individuals include relatives of MLAs.

In its official response, Delhi government said it totally denies the arbitrary and baseless allegations, terming them a desperate attempt to create a media sensation ahead of a hearing in the Supreme Court on the Delhi services ordinance. The government said the fellowships were create after obtaining all due administrative approvals from the cabinet as well as the departments of law and finance, and by the then Lieutenant Governors.

On July 5, two days after the initial directions from the LG office, the services department issued orders to all the administrative secretaries and heads of departments to immediately end the engagement of these 437 fellows, advisers and consultants. The order issued by special secretary services YVVJ Rajasekhar said the finance department should not release their salaries henceforth. The order impacted fellows/consultants in departments such as environment, Delhi archives, women and child development, industries, DTC, DUSIB, and SCERT, apart from 237 posts under Delhi legislative assembly, DDDC and the chief minister urban leader fellowship.

“These private individuals and political workers were filled in almost every department, agency, board and public sector undertaking in many cases place of senior government officers to evade any accountability and tweak the rules to their political advantage,” the statement said.

The government’s rebuttal said the “illegal and unconstitutional order issued” by the services department on July 5 terminated hundreds of young professionals hired under fellowship programme of the Delhi Assembly (DARC Delhi Assembly Research Centre Fellowship) and two fellowship programmes of the Delhi government — the CM’s Urban Leaders Fellowship and CMIE (Change Maker in Education Fellowship).

“It is a matter of record that these prestigious fellowship programmes follow a very transparent, objective and rigorous selection process comprised of open public advertisements in newspapers followed by eligibility criteria-based shortlisting, essays and presentation-based evaluation and final round of interviews. The entire selection process of these programmes is administered by government officers of the departments concerned,” the government said.

The LG secretariat flagged three sets of violations, including violation of reservation provisions. It said that despite the guidelines of the Union government and the Delhi government that reservations are to be made for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in all temporary appointments which are to last for 45 days or more, the government went ahead with the appointments without any reserved category seats.

The Delhi government said the contention about reservation was flawed and in direct contravention of the position taken by the finance department that the fellowship is neither a “civil post” nor an “office”.

“The fellowship programmes are not an appointment or employment and by no stretch of imagination can the fellows be considered as employees. The offer letter to the DARC candidates states that it will not be treated as a claim to employment or appointment in the Delhi assembly or any government service,” it said.

The LG office said one individual, Saurav Kumar Pandey, who was working as “office assistant” in the office of Jungpura MLA Praveen Kumar at a monthly salary of ₹18,000 was engaged as associate fellow in DARC at a monthly salary of ₹60,000. The LG office questioned his academic qualifications and marks secured.

It also flagged the case of Rajat Tiwari, who prior to 2018 was working as aide-de-camp in the office of power minister Satyendra Jain without any post. “His service was terminated by the general administrative department in January 2018. Despite that the minister Saurabh Bhardwaj got him engaged firstly as junior stenographer and then got him engaged as an “associate fellow” in DARC at a monthly salary of ₹60,000. Now, he is taking home ₹1 lakh per month as a fellow,” the statement said.

LG office alleged that the government appointed its own people in the selection panels to secure government jobs for party workers, thereby engaging in unscrupulous practices. It said interviews were conducted neither by the elected representative nor by a government officer, but by people affiliated closely with the AAP.

The statement said these interviewers included one Ratnesh Gupta, who had filed nomination papers for the Patparganj seat from the AAP in 2015 and was later incharge of the state of Himachal Pradesh in 2020; and Nagender Sharma, media incharge of the AAP. The LG secretariat alleged that the selection criteria were changed after receiving applications in some cases.

Citing examples, the LG office alleged that Anchal Bawa, who is married to Rajender Nagar MLA and AAP MCD incharge Durgesh Pathak, had claimed false experience with an NGO, for which she could not produce any certificate. “She was allowed to be engaged as associate fellow, in gross violation of the set of rules and ₹60,000 per month was paid to her from the state exchequer,” the LG office said. Queries sent to Pathak did not elicit any response till the time of going to press.

In another example, the LG office said one fellow, Deepshika Singh, claimed in her resume that she had full-time experience with a social welfare society with employment of 40 hours a week but it was observed that she completed her postgraduation degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2018.

“It is thus not possible for anyone to attend the university’s regular course to maintain minimum attendance and also work on full-time basis employment of 40 hours a week. Several such candidates were selected that failed the test of qualification or experience. They are all working as active AAP workers and their social media presence proves that,” the LG office said.

The government said the issue was being politicised by vested interests. “The government unequivocally reiterates that the appointment of these fellows/specialists was made in accordance with the prescribed rules and regulations of the departments or institutions they were hired by,” it said.