The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a terse letter to AAP Government restraining him from issuing show-cause notice to Delhi’s Chief Secretary as the Delhi Government was not the cadre control authority of civil service officers.
The development came only after the Chief Secretary KK Sharma was issued show-cause notice by the AAP Government recently when AAP had issued a show-cause notice to Rajendra Kumar for holding the charge of Home Secretary on the order of AAP Government while lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had appointed Dharampal as Home Secretary of Delhi.
The Chief Secretary had issued notice to Rajendra Kumar on the directions of the Union Home Ministry that is the cadre controlling authority. Irked at the official line of the Chief Secretary, AAP Government issued show-cause notice to chief secretary KK Sharma and Home Secretary Dharampal for not following the lines of the Government.
According to sources, the MHA has cleared that Chief Secretary had issued notice on the directions of the Ministry which is the cadre controlling authority. “The State Government cannot issue show-cause notice to Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary Home and Principal Secretary (land and Building) as their appointments was made through MHA,” said the sources.
Earlier, the Arvind Kejriwal Government had also issued show-cause notices to Principal Secretary (law) and Principal Secretary (Home) for disagreeing with the Government.
In fact, the clash between top bureaucrats and the Delhi Government has become a frequent phenomenon and therefore, the MHA has made firm intervention by prohibiting the AAP Government from taking frivolous actions beyond his capacity and domain. Thus, the MHA has cautioned the Delhi’s political leadership not to act beyond the lines drawn by Transaction of Business Rules.
The Chief Secretary was not comfortable with the new political leadership and went on leave to the US a couple of months ago. The Delhi Government raked up controversy when they sent the names of Parimal Rai and Shakuntala Gamlin to officiate in his absence but Rai himself declined citing the reason that he had just returned from Goa.
The l-G had approved the name of Gamlin with the Delhi Government opposing it. But Gamlin took charge under the instructions of the l-G and officiated till K K Sharma returned and resumed the charge of Chief Secretary. Suffering humiliation from the Government, Gamlin went on for forty days leave and now she is reluctant to join the Kejriwal Government.
Again, the Delhi Government shifted Sanjiv Khirwal from the position of VAT commissioner and brought a face of their choice. Narendra Kumar was shifted out from the post of principal secretary of UD. There are several cases of unceremonious transfers which has put the top bureaucracy on the tenterhooks.
It is understood that the intervention from the MHA will give some relief to dozen of bureaucrats who were feeling the heat under the AAP Government.