Work halted as ‘specialists’ sacked, claims Delhi minister

Several significant projects in Delhi have come to a halt after the termination of services of around 400 "specialists" by the lieutenant governor. These projects aimed to generate 200,000 employment opportunities and included initiatives such as the redevelopment of markets and food hubs. The termination of the specialists has cast a shadow over the implementation of key policies designed to uplift the city's socioeconomic landscape. The Delhi government claims that the termination was done to stop development work for the people.

The Delhi government on Friday said that several significant projects, including initiatives aimed at generating 200,000 employment opportunities in the Capital, have come to a halt due to the recent termination of services of around 400 “specialists” by the lieutenant governor (LG).

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj (ANI)

These projects involved fellows and “specialists” engaged by the Delhi government to expedite its projects policies, state minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a statement.

The minister added that these fellows were educated at prestigious institutes such as the Indian Institute of Management, Delhi School of Economics, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences. “All these fellows were qualified professionals who used to work closely on the public policies of the government. They used to coordinate with the IAS officers and DANICS (Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services) and used to do research on the issue. Fellows used to study similar policies from other states, what these policies lack, and what their advantages are to the people. At each step, they used work for smooth and quick development. But since these fellows have been sacked, a lot of governmental work has been stopped. With this intention, these fellows have been removed so that development work for the people could be stopped,” said Delhi industry minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

The government said that the affected projects include the redevelopment of six popular markets and three food hubs, and the fallout has cast a shadow over the implementation of five key policies designed to uplift the city’s socioeconomic landscape.

The affected policies include Solid Waste Management Policy, it added. An official aware of the matter said that the new electric vehicle policy has also been stalled.

HT reached out to the LG’s office, which did not respond to queries seeking comments.

On July 3, the Centre-appointed LG terminated the services of around 400 “specialists” appointed to various departments by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, citing the “non-transparent manner” in which they were appointed after the services department compiled information from 23 departments and agencies. The move was another point in a series of tussles between the state and the Centre, as the AAP termed the sacking as “unconstitutional”.

Those dismissed were appointed by the Delhi government as advisers, fellows, consultants, and senior research officers across the 23 departments and agencies in the Capital. Bharadwaj said that all the fellows were well qualified and provided critical support to the Delhi government in the execution of various projects in the form of identifying gaps, market research, compiling evidence-backed insights, and devising feasible solutions.

“The unexpected termination of Delhi government fellows has left several ministries and departments in limbo and affected the future trajectory of Delhi’s development. As stakeholders assess the impact of this abrupt disruption, the city’s residents and authorities eagerly await a resolution that would reignite the path towards progress,” the government has claimed.