Over half a dozen officials are whiling away the time at Players Building that houses Delhi Government Secretariat as they have not been given any posting by the new dispensation. They have been put on compulsory wait while the AAP-led Government has been on overdrive to appoint its volunteers and officers from UP cadre in its key offices.
The only job of these half a dozen officials is to sit idle at Players Building. Normally all the officials who get transferred from their original position are deployed at equivalent positions in any other departments. But strangely, the AAP Government has kept their posting in waiting. This means, their routine is to come to office but there is no work for them. They are getting salaries and other benefits without any work. There is resentment among babus over the noncommittal approach of the city Government over their posting. Sources said if the Government thinks that these officials are unfit, it should start departmental proceedings against them.
A senior Government official, on condition of anonymity, said at least half a dozen officials from various departments are waiting for their posting as they have been directed to report to the Services Department. “If the Government is not happy with the officials who have been put on compulsory wait, then it should penalise them. But this has not happened in their case. They come to office daily but do nothing because they have been directed to report to the Services Department. This is a sheer waste of resources as they are getting salary every month without any work,” said an official.
It is noted that the Arvind Kejriwal Government has appointed two officials from UP at key posts, including Pravin Mishra (1997 batch) and Kapil Singh (2000 batch), both UPPCS officers, have been given posting as OSD to the Deputy Chief Minister. Singh has been given the charge of Joint labour Commissioner of Delhi. This is the first time that an officer from outside has been given cadre posting in Delhi. Besides, several volunteers have been appointed at different capacities in the Government.
Take a case of Arun Kumar Mishra, who was transferred from Collector (Excise) post a few days ago. Interestingly, in his service, Mishra had managed to get only plum posting in the Government department, be it Trade & Taxes or Excise. Similarly, AK Gupta, who has been awaiting his posting, had served most of his time in Excise Department. last year, he was transferred to the Training & Technical Education Department, which the bureaucrats consider a punishment posting.
JB Singh was posted as VETO in Sales Taxes Department. Singh has also devoted most of his tenure in either Excise or Sales Taxes Department. He has also been directed to wait for posting. Bhupinder Singh, who was posted as assistant controller in Weights and Measures Department for the last four years, has also been asked to wait for his further posting. OP Mishra, posted as director (Estate) in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is also awaiting his posting.
Deputy Secretary (PWD) Sandeep Gulati has also been ordered to report to the Services Department. It is noted that Principal Secretary (PWD) Arun Baroka has opposed the move of transferring Gulati from PWD. Baroka has directed Gulati to stay in the department despite the transfer order. But the said transfer order has not been cancelled till date.
