The ongoing power struggle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi and the bureaucratic establishment escalated once again on Friday.
Atishi, in a letter addressed to LG Vinai Kumar Saxena, alleging that the chief secretary has refused to comply with her directives to establish a coordination mechanism for meetings of the newly established National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA).
Atishi said she issued an order on August 16 to facilitate coordination between various departments of the Delhi government and the NCCSA, but the chief secretary refused to acknowledge the order in a ten-page letter dated August 21.
In her letter, the Minister also sought the opinion of the LG on the issue. In her letter to the LG, the Minister stated that the Chief Secretary under Section 45J(5) of the GNCTD Amendment Act says that despite the removal of Section 3A from the GNCTD Act, effective executive control over all matters related to “Services” and “Vigilance” will lie with the Central Government and the LG, and not with the elected government. However, the elected Government disagrees with this legal interpretation.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has criticised Atishi’s letter, saying the Kejriwal Government has started a new power struggle with bureaucracy and it is on the expected lines. He said the Kejriwal Government’s bid for absolute control over bureaucracy and police is not to ensure development but to make the administration a tool to raise electoral funds for party expansion.