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Several top bureaucrats overseeing implementation of a number of ambitious projects of AAP government were on Tuesday transferred by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, prompting angry reaction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was behind the reshuffle.
Jung went ahead with the transfers notwithstanding requests by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia not to transfer bureaucrats handling flagship programmes including Health Secretary Tarun Seem, handling setting up of Mohalla Clinics, and PWD Secretary Sarvagya Srivastava, overseeing construction of school buildings.
It was the first major bureaucratic reshuffle in Delhi administration by Jung after the Delhi High Court judgment
earlier this month ruling LG is is the administrative head of the national capital.
Environment Secretary Chandrakar Bharti has been transfered as Secretary Health while Social Welfare Secretary Ashwani Kumar has been appointed as new PWD Secretary in place of non-IAS cadre officer Srivastava.
"Today, several officers transferred by LG directly. Files not even shown to CM or any minister. Is this Modi model of democracy?... Manish Sisodia requested LG not to transfer these two officers looking after works of setting mohalla clinics and new schools till March 31, but he (LG) did not relent," Kejriwal tweeted.
The chief minister alleged that the prime minister was "hell bent" to "destroy" Delhi.
Addressing a press conference, Sisodia also targeted Modi for the transfers and said he will be responsible if quality of health services and education deteriorates.
"We have got to know that Modiji has asked LG on phone to transfer these two offices. Modi can go to any extent. If education and health quality deteriorates, Modiji will be responsible for this," he alleged.
In another order, Jung has given specific directions for transfer and postings of officers of IAS, DANICS and DASS cadres, principal private secretaries, while suspending all previous orders of the AAP government.
In the order, Jung said the LG will be the approving authority for transfer and postings of IAS, DANICS, All India Service Officers, equivalent officers of central civil services. The Chief Secretary will be the approving authority for transfer and postings of DASS Grade I/II, private secretaries and senior personal assistants.
Jung has also ordered withdrawal of Delhi government's suspension order of the chief minister's former Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar.
Home ministry had termed "illegal" the Kejriwal government's suspension order of Kumar and asked it to withdraw as the MHA is the competent authority to suspend IAS officer.
"Kumar was placed under deemed suspension with effect from July 4 by ministry of home affairs being the competent authority... accordingly, the order number 397 dated July 6 issued in this regard by the Services Department is hereby withdrawn," Services Department said in its order.
For transfer and postings of DASS Grade III/IV and Grade II/III (Stenographer), LG has appointed Secretary (Services) as the approving authority while administrative Secretary/Head of Department will look after transfers and postings of other employees of cadre/ex-cadre within the department concerned.
Alleging that Jung effected the transfer "at the behest of Prime Minister Modi", Sisodia asserted the "PM should not stop" the AAP government work.
"He (Modi) wants to obstruct the good work being done in Delhi in health and education sectors by us. He wants to ruin Delhi," he claimed.
"For the first time, we had brought in non-IAS officers in these two departments (Heath and PWD) as secretaries, an honest engineer in the PWD department and a person from a medical background in the Health Department. And, they have been transferred at a time when they were doing good job," Sisodia told reporters.
He said he had personally requested the Lt Governor not to transfer these two officers, who were looking after works of setting up mohalla clinics and new schools, but they could not even "spare these two".
"So, now, we will go to villages and cities and also appeal to media and people in general to tell that if there is any fall in quality in health and education services in Delhi, then Prime Minister Modiji will be responsible," he said.
Responding to the Deputy CM's allegation, LG office issued a statement saying that the postings of PWD Secretary and Health Secretary by the government were illegal and against government of India's cadre rules.
"Srivastava and Seem were holding posts as Secretary (PWD) and Secretary (Health) in GNCTD as additional charge in violation of existing rules when cadre posts cannot be held by non-cadre officers for more than 3 months. The government were repeatedly advised to correct this anomaly, but no action was taken," it stated.
Further training his guns on Modi, Sisodia said, former TRAI chairman Nripendra Misra was appointed as principal secretary to the prime minister and the Centre promulgated an ordinance amending the TRAI Act.
"But when we just asked for two officers who do good work, they are transferred," he said.