Kejriwal defers NCCSA meet, official flags 5th postponement

The National Capital Civil Services Authority’s member secretary responded by proposing to the meeting without the Delhi chief minister’s participation

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday postponed a scheduled meeting of the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) for the fifth time amid a row between the Delhi government and the Centre over the control of bureaucrats in the state, and the body’s member secretary responded by proposing to the meeting without the CM’s participation.

The chief minister is the chairperson of the three-member body constituted to oversee transfers and postings of bureaucrats in Delhi under an ordinance promulgated by the Union government on May 19 to negate a May 11 Supreme Court order that gave the authority over officers to Delhi’s elected government. (ANI)

The chief minister is the chairperson of the three-member body constituted to oversee transfers and postings of bureaucrats in Delhi under an ordinance promulgated by the Union government on May 19 to negate a May 11 Supreme Court order that gave the authority over officers to Delhi’s elected government.

The other members of the body are the chief secretary and the principal secretary (home), and decisions are taken by a simple majority, prompting Kejriwal last month to call the body a “farce” since his decisions can be overruled by officials who are answerable to the Centre.

In a letter on Friday, principal secretary, (home) Ashwini Kumar — he is also NCSSA’s member secretary — raised concerns that the “non-functioning of the authority may result in mal-administration and bring the Capital administration to a standstill”.

The officer, in the letter, proposed to call the meeting without the CM. This is permissible under the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, which gives the member secretary the power to call a meeting of the body with a quorum of two, with the approval of the chairperson.

Kumar’s letter said some key items to be discussed by NCCSA include action against government officers who made payments for advertisements favouring the AAP; Delhi Jal Board (DJB) engineers who demolished a listed heritage monument in south Delhi to construct a bungalow for an IAS officer; and the shifting of officers from “sensitive departments”.

Meanwhile, a Delhi government official said that the ordinance has caused an open rebellion among the bureaucrats against the elected government. “The language of letter written by the principal secretary (home) is discourteous and amounts to open rebellion. Can one imagine any officer writing such a letter to the CM of any full state? Can the home (principal) secretary write a similar letter to LG? This is not an isolated incident. There are numerous incidents happening every day in Delhi government wherein the officers are openly defying ministers’ orders. The ordinance has caused an open rebellion in Delhi government against the elected government,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Earlier, in a note from the CM’s office to NCSSA members, Kejriwal postponed the meeting because the Union cabinet has replaced the ordinance with a bill, which is likely to be tabled in Parliament on Monday.

The statement said it was “proper to wait for the new Bill to be passed in the Parliament”.

“The chief minister has observed that the union cabinet in its meeting held on July 25 has replaced the (Delhi) Ordinance with a Bill. The Bill is likely to be presented in the Parliament on Monday, 31-07-2023, as per media reports. Though technically the Ordinance is still in vogue, however, it would be proper to wait for the new Bill to be passed in the Parliament and work according to that. In view of the same, the authority meeting scheduled on 28-07-2023 at 5pm, is postponed,” the note said.

HT has seen copies of Kumar’s letter as well as the note from the CM’s office.

Chief secretary Naresh Kumar did not respond to queries seeking comment.