A delegation of AGMUT cadre IAS officers’ association met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, highlighting insecurity among IAS officials and seeking a “conducive atmosphere” that would allow them to work in a “free and neutral manner” in the wake of CBI case against his staff officer Rajendra Kumar and ACB cases against Chetan B Sanghi, another senior officer of the Delhi Government.
The association also concerned over the manner in which the CM announced suspension of District Magistrate (West) and two SDMs for failing to provide basic facilities after demolition in Shakur Basti area. The association claimed that the Chief Minister has assured that he would do all that is required to strengthen institutional mechanism and full support to them.
The IAS association has sought audience from lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Union Home Secretary to highlight the problems and insecurity being faced by them.
The association impressed upon need to appropriate institutional mechanism to deal with bonafide policy decisions, administration actions so that they would be able to discharge responsibilities in free, fair and neutral manner. The association members are worried a lot as neither State Government including Chief Secretary of Delhi nor Centre protect them.
Panicked over the CBI raid on Kumar, the Association is in double minds on whether to follow the instructions of its cadre controlling authority, which is the Union Home Ministry, or that of the AAP Government. Many officers fear that if they follow the dictates of the l-G, then they face the wrath of the AAP Government and vice-versa.
The officers claimed they were being victimised due to the tussle between the Centre and AAP Government in Delhi. They added that they want to work in a free, fair and neutral manner. The members are also unhappy with Chief Secretary, who is not protected them from any wrongdoing against them by the Government. In the past eight months, there have been several occasions when the bureaucrats have been punished by the AAP Government for following the directions of the l-G. Upset over the AAP Government’s failure to defend him in connection with a scam related to conversion of industrial sheds from leasehold to freehold, Kejriwal’s trusted lieutenant Chetan Bhushan Sanghi is said to have proceeded on three months leave.