LG reverses babus' wage cut order by AAP govt

Decision sure to spark fresh clash between two sides

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has struck down the AAP government’s decision to impose a 50 per cent  wage cut on two suspended bureaucrats, sources said on Monday.

The decision is sure to spark a fresh clash between Raj Niwas and the Aam AadmiParty government, which has often blamed Jung – representative of the central government in the Union Territory – for creating hurdles in his government’s functioning.

Sources said the Raj Niwas has communicated to city Home Department headed by Satyendar Jain that the AAP government has no power to impose a wage cut on bureaucrats whose posting and transfer is controlled by the central government through the LG.

Jain suspended Special Secretary (Prosecution) Yashpal Garg and Special Secretary (Prisons) Subhash Chandra in December 2015 when they refused to sign two cabinet notes related to hike in salary of public prosecutors and prison staff.

Sources said the two officials while refusing to follow Jain’s direction referred to an earlier advisory from the LG asking government officials not to sign documents that do not come under their jurisdiction.

Last month, Jain took the harsh step of ordering a 50 per cent wage cut for the two senior-most DANICS officials. Following the harsh step, the matter reached the doorstep of Jung.

Raj Niwas sources said Jung informed the Union Home Ministry which has now directed him to reverse the wage cut of the two bureaucrats.
The Union Home Ministry had earlier overturned the Delhi government’s order to suspend two DANICS officers.

Over 200 DANICS officers took a one-day mass leave on December 31 to show solidarity with the suspended officers.

The Delhi government called the mass leave an attempt to foil its odd-even road rationing scheme and accused Jung of tacitly supporting the agitation.

The DANICS officers’ association slammed the Delhi government alleging that it did not have the power to suspend any officer of  the cadre and it can only recommend suspension of a DANICS officer to the LG.

The LG can suspend a DANICS officer with the permission of the Union Home Ministry.