Kejriwal, Sisodia's drivers yet to possess mandatory commercial Dls

In a startling disclosure, the Delhi Government has accepted that drivers of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia do not possess mandatory commercial driving licences. 

In a reply to BJP MlA OP Sharma, the General Administration Department has said that Rohit Kumar and Mahesh Kumar, Kejriwal and Sisodia’s drivers, have been granted three and six months respectively to get commercial licences. 

Security blue book says that driver of the VVIP should be a trained driver who is well-versed with the security drill and can take the VVIPs to safety during emergency situations. 

Kejriwal’s driver Rohit Kumar was appointed by the AAP Government on the condition that he would acquire minimum qualification that is matriculation or its equivalent from recognised Board/University within one year and lMV commercial licence within three month from the date of issue of order of appointment. 

It is noted that time limit of submission of lMV commercial licence has been extended up to July 19, 2015. The Government said that Mehesh Kumar has been appointed as the driver of the Deputy Chief Minister on the condition that he would get his lMVC licence within six months. According to Transport Department officials, the driver who is on Government job requires to get lMVC licence as per recruitment rules. 

A senior police officer said that drivers selected for the CM and deputy CM have to go through a test. They are taught how to drive and maintain gap between the pilot and escort vehicles. They are also trained to handle wireless sets for maintaining communication with the Delhi Police.

One more surprising fact is that Transport Minister Gopal Rai’s clerk Prabhat Kumar does not even know typing. He has been appointed on the condition that he would learn typing within one year from a Government recognised institute. Even two newly-appointed peons have been told to acquire their matriculation within a year

Besides, against the sanctioned 90 posts in the offices of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, the AAP Government has already appointed 199 people. On co-termius posts, the Government has recruited 28 officers against the sanctioned posts of 81.

Kejriwal’s private secretary Bibhav Kumar has been appointed in the Pay Band of `37,400-`67,000 plus Grade Pay of `6,600. He has also been provided with office space, residential accommodation and a personal phone. The CM’s joint secretary Aswathi Muralidharan has been appointed in the Pay Band of `15,600 to `39,100 with Grade Pay of `6,600. She too has been provided with an office space and a car.

Of the eight officers appointed on contractual basis, Grievances Advisor Swati Maliwal and Political Advisor Ashish Talwar have been recruited on co-terminus basis at a monthly consolidated remuneration of `1,15,881.

law Minister Kapil Mishra’s media advisor Amardeep Tiwari has been appointed on contract on co-terminus basis at consolidated remuneration of `60,000 per month. Sisodia’s media advisor Arunoday Prakash too has been appointed on a similar pay scale. 

While Kejriwal’s personal assistant Rohit Pandey has appointed on contract on co-terminus basis on a monthly package of `20,000, Health Minister Satyendra Jain’s OSD Brig Dinkar Adeeb has been appointed on a monthly consolidated remuneration of ` 38,135. Other officers, who had also been provided with official accommodations, include Kejriwal’s OSD Sukesh Jain, Sisodia’s OSD’s Kapil Singh and Praveen Mishra and one driver Vinod Kumar.