The Arvind Kejriwal Government on Wednesday sent a proposal to the L-G, VK Saxena, to replace incumbent Services Secretary Ashish More with Anil Kumar Singh, a 1995 batch IAS officer. More was removed from his post within hours of the Supreme Court verdict on May 11, giving the AAP Government control over the transfer and posting of officers.
He was then served a show-cause notice by Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj’s office, which threatened disciplinary action against him for not complying with his transfer order and allegedly going incommunicado. Prior to the verdict of the court, the Services department was under the control of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor.
According to officials, the AAP Government has now sent the file related to removal of Ashish More from the post of Secretary (Vigilance) to the Lt Governor’s office. AK Singh will be the new Services Secretary as the LG is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of National Capital Territory of Delhi in matters within the legislative scope of the national Capital. The issue was discussed in a meeting of Services Selection Board (CSB) on Wednesday. The meeting chaired by the chief secretary was also attended by additional chief secretary P K Gupta and Services secretary More, officials said.
The CSB was originally scheduled to meet earlier on Tuesday, but it could not due to preoccupation of the chief secretary.
More was removed by the Delhi government from his post on May 11, hours after the Supreme Court order placed the control of bureaucrats working with the Delhi government (excluding those related to police, public order, and land) under the elected government.
Besides directing More’s removal, Bharadwaj had ordered that he be replaced by IAS officer AK Singh. The Delhi government had also approached the Supreme Court alleging the Centre was not implementing its decision to remove More.