Rajendra Kumar, a 1989 batch IAS officer who was appointed Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in February, when the AAP formed Government for the second time, has always been in the limelight for creating controversies.
Due to his radical ideas, Kejriwal at one point of time had suggested his name for Chief Secretary of Delhi, but it was turned down by the Centre as he was too junior in the cadre.
like Kejriwal, Kumar also an IIT alumnus first courted controversy as the VAT Commissioner in 2011 when he introduced online system in the department. It did not go well with a section of traders who had started leveling charges of corruption and harassment against him.
As Power Secretary in 2008-09, Kumar was again in the limelight for issuing letter of comfort to private discoms for raising loans from financial institutions.
It is the same letter of comfort for which Power Minister Satyendra Jain had accused then Principal Secretary Power Shakuntala B Gamlin of trying to favour the power companies.
Kumar too had raked a major controversy for reportedly threatening Gamlin not to follow the directions of lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in connection with assuming the charge of the acting Chief Secretary for a 10- day period. Gamlin had reportedly hit back and warned him of legal action.
Gamlin had alleged that Kumar, on behalf of the CMO, had threatened her that she would be exposed for having links with private discoms for initiating the process of issuing a comfort letter to the private entity.
Now the CBI has proceeded against him in connection with a matter related to computerisation of schools which he had initiated during his tenure as the director of Education in then Sheila Dikshit Government.
A few months ago, Ashish Joshi, former member-secretary of the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) and officer of Indian Postal Service , had made ground of computerisation of schools scam and approached the lt Governor-appointed ACB Chief MK Meena to probe the matter.
In his complaint, Joshi alleged that Kumar, as director of Education (from May, 2002 to February, 2005) and later Secretary (IT), Secretary (Health) and Commissioner (VAT), had allegedly set up various companies to award work orders of departments without tenders which caused “financial loss” to the city’s Government. Joshi was removed from the Delhi Dialogue Commission for his differences with other AAP members including Ashish Khetan.
Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had to once airlift Kumar from lakshwadeep to save him from facing the public ire. Back in Delhi, he was the first choice of AAP chief Kejriwal , when he first became the CM of Delhi way back in 2013. Kumar then served Kejriwal as the Secretary for a period of 49 days.
Again Kumar was the first pick of Kejriwal, when he assumed the office of the CM for the second term this year. He was again made the ‘Staff Officer’ of the CM.
He was not only promoted to the rank of the Principal Secretary but was also made the Home Secretary despite the wishes of the Union Home Ministry, his cadre controlling authority.
He enjoyed the twin posts of both the Home and Services Department before the MHA threatened to issue him with a show-cause notice.