Senior officers skip meeting to review pollution control measures, Gopal Rai writes to CM Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday requesting the appointment of officers who are sensitive to the issue of air pollution after several department heads skipped a meeting to review pollution mitigation measures in the national capital.

Rai said a meeting of the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) should be convened as soon as possible to address the issue. The NCCSA takes a call on service matters, including transfers, postings and disciplinary action.

After the meeting with departments concerned earlier in the day, Rai expressed regret that several department heads did not attend the meeting and other senior officials appeared to be unaware of the deteriorating air quality and the measures their departments are taking to combat pollution.

He urged the chief secretary to ensure that these officials work diligently for the next month when air pollution is expected to peak.

In his letter to Kejriwal, Rai said, 'A K Singh, Principal Secretary of the Environment Department; Ashwani Kumar, DPCC Chairman and Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department; and Ashish Kundra, Transport Commissioner, did not attend the important meeting today. Their absence makes it extremely difficult to make any significant decisions and ensure their implementation.'

'Therefore, I request that, in order to effectively address the serious pollution situation, a meeting of the National Capital Civil Service Authority should be convened as soon as possible, and officers who are sensitive to the issue of pollution and can actively work to reduce pollution should be appointed,' he concluded.