Delhi officer agrees to vacate post after notice

Delhi services minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said More “has been trying through illegal means to continue upon the said post for attaining ulterior objectives”.

Delhi services secretary Ashish More agreed to vacate his position from the Capital’s administrative set-up late on Monday, two days after he was issued a show-cause notice by the state government for an “unauthorised absence from work” and not complying with its order to release a file that directed his own transfer from the post.

Ashish More, an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer from the batch of 2005, was removed from his position on May 11, hours after the Supreme Court affirmed the elected Delhi government’s powers to appoint and transfer officers within the Capital in all departments, except for those concerning land, police and public order. (HT Photo)

In the notice, issued on May 13, Delhi services minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said More “has been trying through illegal means to continue upon the said post for attaining some ulterior objectives”.

He also said that More was “absconding” and that phone calls made and WhatsApp messages sent to the officer were neither received nor acknowledged.

However, late on Monday evening, a Delhi government official aware of the matter said More that had, “in a communication to the services minister” agreed to move the file appointing a new services secretary.

More, an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer from the batch of 2005, was removed from his position on May 11, hours after the Supreme Court affirmed the elected Delhi government’s powers to appoint and transfer officers within the Capital in all departments, except for those concerning land, police and public order.

More did not respond to HT’s requests for comments on his removal or the show-cause notice.

The Arvind Kejriwal government on Thursday lauded the top court’s order and warned of a major rejig in the city’s administrative machinery that would weed out officers in “redundant positions” and those “who obstructed the elected government’s work”.

The state government did not disclose a reason for removing More, whom they replaced with AK Singh, a 1995-batch IAS officer.

Bharadwaj, in the show-cause notice, also asked More why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against him for violation of the All India Service (Conduct) Rules 1968 and All India Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

“…it is apparent that after knowing about the intention of the Delhi government to transfer him from the post of Secretary Services, More has been trying through illegal means to continue upon the said post for attaining some ulterior objectives. By aforesaid conduct, he also intends to sabotage and delay the implementation of the judgment of the constitution bench of Supreme Court. It also appears to be a malafide attempt to obstruct the exercise of lawful powers by an elected government,” Bharadwaj said in the notice.

The Delhi government official cited above said that More stopped responding on May 11 itself.

“The services minister called More on May 11 afternoon and directed him to put up a file for the transfer of the present services secretary (in this case, More himself) and the posting of another officer,” said the official.

“He assured the minister he would put up the relevant file before 3pm that day. However, instead of doing so, he left the secretariat without informing the minister or his office. The minister and his office tried to reach More on his office and mobile phone numbers, but he did not respond,” said the official, who asked not to be named.

“Later, he switched off his mobile phone. The minister even sent him WhatsApp messages, but they were ignored. An official note was sent to his residence, but he did not receive it. His wife came out and said she did not know his whereabouts. The note was later sent to him over email and WhatsApp,” added the official.

The two power centres in the Capital: one in the chief minister’s office and the other at that of the LG, a functionary who virtually reports to the Union home ministry, have been locked in an increasingly bitter confrontation, which at one point prompted bureaucrats to go on a protest alleging they were caught in the crossfire, involved an alleged attack on the chief secretary, and snowballed into criminal cases that have led to the arrests of two Delhi ministers in cases AAP says is false.