JOIN USBabu hurt in CM-LG war back on feet
The nameplate of Principal Secretary (Services) Anindo Majumdar was restored in Delhi Secretariat on Friday, within hours of the Centre’s notification giving Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung absolute power over appointment of Delhi officials.
Majumdar was caught in the crossfire between the Raj Niwas and the CM’s Office while both the sides took turns to remove him and reinstate him in a barrage of angry communications and media statements.
“This is the biggest impact of the centre’s notification on Friday,” said a senior official, pointing to Majumdar’s rehabilitation to the old post and installation of his nameplate.
The 1985-batch IAS officer had earlier complained to an association of bureaucrats that he felt humiliated after the government locked his office room in the Secretariat, forcing him to sit with other staff members.
The state government had last Monday appointed CM’s secretary Rajendra Kumar as Principal Secretary of the services department but the move was struck down by Jung.
The episode was linked to the friction between Kejriwal and Jung over the appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as an acting chief secretary earlier.
There was a flurry of activity in the Delhi Secretariat and Raj Niwas on Monday. The action started with Principal Secretary (Services) Anindo Majumdar’s room in Delhi Secretariat being locked on an instruction from the Chief Minister’s office.
Majumdar, who was removed by the Delhi government for issuing the order notifying the appointment of Gamlin as acting chief secretary, decided to work by sitting with other staff members close to his locked room and uprooted name plate.A few hours later, the word spread that Rajendra Kumar has been appointed as principal secretary of services department.
Sources said Majumdar’s office checked with the Raj Niwas if the new appointment was in the knowledge of Jung.
To clear the confusion, Jung’s office issued a letter to Kejriwal informing that the naming of Rajendra Kumar as the new principal secretary of services department was illegal as it lacked the Lieutenant Governor’s sanction.
Jung reasoned that the replacement of Majumdar by Rajendra Kumar was done in violation of the rules.