New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung are on warpath. The latest point of conflict is over Jung appointing senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary.
With Delhi Chief Secretary KK Sharma in the USA on a personal visit, the government had to appoint an acting Chief Secretary. The Lieutenant Governor, in an extra ordinary move, issued instructions directly to the Secretary (Services) to give the additional charge of Chief Secretary of Delhi to Shakuntala Gamlin.
Gamlin, a 1984-batch IAS officer, was given the charge just hours after she wrote a scathing letter to Jung claiming that she was pressured by a senior bureaucrat in the Delhi CM's office not to be in race for the post due to her alleged proximity to BSES discoms.
Slamming the move, the AAP government said the LG cannot bypass the elected government and accused him of acting against "the Constitution, GNCT of Delhi Act and the Transaction of Business Rules."
After the Secretary (Services) issued an order giving Gamlin the additional charge following instructions by Jung, the Kejriwal government accused the LG of by-passing the Chief Minister and the elected government claiming he does not have extraordinary power.
"The Lt Governor by-passed the elected Government, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister (who also acts as the Minister in-charge of Services department). The Lt Governor does not have the extraordinary powers under the Constitution to bypass the elected Government and issue instructions directly to the Secretaries, whatever be the provocation," the Delhi government said in a statement.
It said Jung, in an "extraordinary manner", issued instructions directly to the Secretary (Services) to give the additional charge of Chief Secretary to Gamlin.
The government said it had certain reservations about the conduct of Gamlin because of which it was hesitant to give the additional charge to her.
"She was perceived to be extremely close to electricity companies in Delhi and was lobbying for their interests within the government. However, the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor, in a completely unconstitutional manner appointed Shakuntala Gamlin, to this position," it said.
In her letter to Jung, Gamlin accused Kejriwal's Secretary Rajendra Kumar of making a telephone call asking her not be in race for the post. She also accused the AAP government of casting aspersions on her integrity to service and levelling false charges.
Senior bureaucrats Naini Jayaseelan, IAS officer of 1980 batch, Arvind Ray and SP Singh were in race for acting Chief Secretary's post.
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