Kejri gets his men: Two UP officers will join AAP govt

The Delhi government’s wish to have two Uttar Pradesh bureaucrats in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s team has been fulfilled as the neighbouring state has relieved the senior officers so that they can report in Player’s Building on Monday.

Ghaziabad City Magistrate Kapil Singh and Muradabad Additional District Magistrate (City) Praveen Mishra are likely to join the Delhi government following their shift got the nod from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and state Governor Ram Naik.

Kapil Singh is 2000 batch and Praveen Mishra is 1997 batch Uttar Pradesh civil service officer who have shown exceptional capabilities to handling public grievances, said sources.

“We are looking forward to working in the Delhi government and put to use our knowledge of working at the grassroots level,” Kapil Singh told Deccan Herald on Sunday.
Kapil Singh impressed Kejriwal with his efficiency during the early days of the chief minister’s tenure as he has been living in Ghaziabad’s Kaushambi area.

“The city magistrate interacted with Kejriwal during protocol-related meetings and crowd management at his public durbar,” said sources.

Mishra’s energetic work with NGOs in community participation activities in Baghpat caught the attention of Kejriwal, said an Aam Aadmi Party leader.

The official joining by the two Uttar Pradesh officials is scheduled on Monday when Kejriwal is expected to return from Bangaluru following a naturopathy therapy to check blood sugar level.

The deputation of the two Uttar Pradesh officials is expected to begin at a time when Kejriwal’s  request to the Centre to send on deputation Haryana cadre Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who recently stood up against alleged wrongdoings in AIIMS.

Kejriwal wants Chaturvedi, currently serving as Deputy Director of AIIMS, to be his OSD and steer the anti-corruption branch to boost his Cabinet’s efforts to make the capital corruption-free.

Sources said the Centre has shown no urgency to push for Chaturvedi’s Delhi government posting as a matter related to the IFS officer is pending in the Central Administrative Tribunal.

The matter in the tribunal may take a few months for disposal and the central government wants to wait till the outcome of the procedure before accepting Kejriwal’s request for posting Chaturvedi in Delhi

Already, Rajendra Kumar has been appointed Secretary to Kejriwal. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.

 Dr Vasantha Kumar N has been appointed as Additional Secretary to Kejriwal.
He is a 2004 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.

In Chaturvedi’s case, Kejriwal wrote a letter on February 16 to Union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar, who is the cadre-controlling officer of all the Indian Forest Service officers, seeking Chaturvedi’s deputation to Delhi.