Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to transfer bureaucrats from the national Capital until the lok Sabha elections. In his letter, Kejriwal has criticised the Union Home Ministry for not consulting the State Government before transferring over a dozen bureaucrats out of Delhi last week.
“The Parliamentary elections are just round the corner and a few weeks are left before enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. I would urge you to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to stay orders at least till the conclusion of Parliamentary elections,” Kejriwal stated in the letter. “We are new in Government and need “good officers” who have been working with Delhi Government for some time. All officials have vast experience and his new Government required their services,” he said in the letter.
It may be noted that the AAP Government had expressed its displeasure over the transfer of these senior officials by the Home Ministry without consulting the State Government. The Government is now making excuses to stay transfer of several IAS officials in the name of the upcoming lok Sabha elections. The Home Ministry had transferred 17 IAS officials from Delhi Government early this month. They included Urban Development Secretary SS Yadav, Health Secretary SCl Das, Commissioner of Trade and Taxes Prashant Goyal and Deputy Commissioner of New Delhi district Krishan Mohan Uppu. The other IAS officers transferred out of Delhi are Ashok Kumar, KJR Burman, Shoorvir Singh, JB Singh and Arti lal. The transfer orders were issued by the Union Home Ministry which controls Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre officers.
In 2012, the then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had complained to the Prime Minister against the “unilateral transfer” of 25 senior officials of Delhi Government by the Home Ministry. Dikshit had strongly protested the transfers by the Home Ministry and did not relieve a majority of the officers.