Request LG to approve cabinet decision to engage 10,000 bus marshals: Atishi

The CM was speaking during a discussion in the Delhi Assembly on bus marshals who were sacked in November 2023 over alleged discrepancies in the engagement

Delhi chief minister Atishi on Friday requested Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena to approve the Delhi cabinet proposal for the immediate engagement of 10,000 bus marshals in the city and requested leader of opposition (LoP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijender Gupta to get the L-G’s approval.

A group of bus marshals were also present in the Delhi assembly gallery during the discussions in the assembly. (Atishi | Facebook)

The CM was speaking during a discussion in the Delhi Assembly on bus marshals who were sacked in November 2023 over alleged discrepancies in the engagement.

“Since March 2023, the salaries of the bus marshals were stopped. Delhi ministers wrote back-to-back to officers and also to the LG to start the salaries of the bus marshals, but the salaries were not resumed. The officers wrote that the bus marshals are not required. In October 2023, the LG sacked all the bus marshals, he did not think about the women of Delhi and the family of the 10,000 bus marshals. The BJP, LG and officers started raising objections and stopped the salaries of the bus marshals. In the file sent to LG in 2023 Kejriwal clearly said that the bus marshals engaged in the buses should not be removed”, she said.

Atishi claimed that Gupta had said the L-G removed the bus marshals on the recommendation of Arvind Kejriwal.

“Vijender Gupta should read the 20 October 2023 letter of Arvind Kejriwal in which he clearly stated that the bus marshals should not be removed, and action should be taken against officers who stopped the salaries of the bus marshals. On November 1, the divisional commissioner issued an order removing the CDVs. As revenue minister, I wrote back to the divisional commissioner and LG saying that those CDVs who are working as bus marshals should not be removed because the women will feel insecure, but they did not listen to my advice,” Atishi said.

A group of bus marshals were also present in the Delhi assembly gallery during the discussions.

Reacting to the developments, BJP’s Gupta said the AAP government is not serious about it.

“The 10,000 CDVs were sacked on the basis of a letter Arvind Kejriwal wrote last year recommending their removal. The AAP government engaged the marshals and sacked them. It was the BJP which proposed that the marshals should be engaged, and their services should be regularised. In the last session, they passed our proposal in Delhi Assembly. We went to meet the CM on October 5 to discuss the progress on the proposal. We were not allowed to speak in the meeting. The bus marshals also understood how dirty politics is being played with them,” said Gupta.

Gupta also said the process of engagement was delayed.

“The process of engagement was delayed. The AAP government has not taken any steps towards the regularisation of the marshals. The recruitment rules have not been made. The L-G has also extended his support and given his approval. Only the elected government has to put up the file. But they are not doing it,” said Gupta.

A response from the L-G office is awaited and the copy will be updated whenever it is received.

Since November 2023, 10,000 civil defence volunteers (CDVs) have been protesting against the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking their reinstatement.

During the same period, the BJP and the AAP have been at loggerheads over the engagement of the CDVs.

In October, it was announced by the BJP and the AAP that the CDVs would be engaged soon but they are still awaiting their appointment.