Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday has written to the Centre seeking services of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi, who is likely to head the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi Government. Chaturvedi is currently serving as the deputy director of AIIMS. Kejriwal has sought services of the IFS officer in the Delhi Government as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
The anti-graft body is controlled directly by the CM. In the February 16 letter to Union Environment and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar, Kejriwal has asked for his intervention into the matter. “The services of Sanjeev Chaturvedi, IFS (Haryana:2002), who is presently posted as the Deputy Secretary, AIIMS, New Delhi, on Central Deputation, are urgently required to work as Officer on Special Duty (OSD), in the Chief Minister’s Office, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. The consent of the officer is also enclosed in the letter. I would be highly obliged if you could personally look into the matter and get the requisite orders issued at the earliest,” Kejriwal wrote to Javdekar.
Sources said now Javadekar has to seek approval of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Government of Haryana. It will then be forwarded to the Cabinet Committee on Appointment headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP general secretary and Union Health Minister JP Nadda had written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) last year objecting to Chaturvedi’s appointment as both deputy secretary and chief vigilance officer of AIIMS.
Following which, Chaturvedi was unceremoniously removed from the post of CVO. After his removal, the AAP had come out in support of the officer and alleged “victimisation of an honest officer at the behest of BJP members”. The AAP had also demanded resignation of then Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan for Chaturvedi’s removal. On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “I would like him (Chaturvedi) to be there. If he wants to come, then certainly with his coming the anti-corruption branch will be 100 times stronger.”