The Delhi Government has issued a circular to bar Principal Secretaries and HODs of Home, PWD, Power, Health and Industries from issuing circulars or orders, stating that henceforth Ministers’ prior permission is necessary.
The Health Minister’s order has created ripples within the bureaucracy who feel that by wresting all such powers only with the Minister is not only bound to undermine their authority but also would slow-down day-to-day decision being made by the administration.
In a recent order, Home Minister Satyendra Jain said, “In exercise of powers conferred under Rule-15 and 16 of the Transaction of Business of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Rules, 1993 (TBR), it is hereby ordered that no notification or order or circular or any other instrument would be issued by the department, without the concurrence of the Minister-in-charge.”
The order said, “In exercise of the above said powers, it is further ordered that authentication of above mentioned documents under the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Authentication of Orders and other Instruments) Rules, 1992 dated 25 November, 1993 and July 4, 2000, shall be issued by Principal Secretary/Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary or Under Secretary to the Government as directed by the Minister-In-charge.”
A senior bureaucrat said the officers generally issue orders which are approved by the Government. This is not the first occasion when Jain has directly hit his bureaucrats. Jain had grabbed headlines when he accused Principal Secretary (Power) Shakuntala D Gamlin, proceeded on a long leave, of favouring a private discom. He had alleged that the officer was in the process of issuing a letter of comfort to the company to raise money from financial institutions. The officer had hit back, saying the Government had on earlier occasions also issued such letters. She had clarified that the letter of comfort does not mean that the Government was in any way guarantor for the money raised by the company from any financial institution.