AAP govt suspends 2 Home Dept officers; Top officers on mass leave

After the AAP government suspended  two senior civil service officers of the Home Department for refusing to sign on a Cabinet decision file, around 200 DANICS-cadre officers are on mass leave today protesting government's move.

However, Home Minister of  Delhi, Satyendra Jain (HM, ) said  he had  no information of any strike by the officers, reports ANI.

Yashpal Garg, special secretary (Prosecution), and Subhash Chandra, special secretary (Prisons), have been suspended, a Delhi government spokesperson  had  said yesterday.
The action, threatening to blow into another AAP-Centre confrontation, was taken after Garg and Chandra refused to sign a file pertaining to the Cabinet decision to increase salary of public prosecutors, the spokesperson said.

Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) are selected through civil servic exams conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Officers of the service are recruited directly through the Civil Services Examination and are responsible for the diverse administrative functions of the National Capital, Delhi and the Union Territories.

Supporting the DANICS Officers's Association's move to go on mass leave, IAS Officers have also threatened to go on a half-day leave today.

There are around 70 IAS officers working in different departments of the national capital.

"IAS officers will also go on a half-day leave tomorrow supporting the DANICS officers Association. There was a joint meeting of IAS and DANICS officers today wherein a resolution was passed against the suspension of two DANICS officers working the Home Department," said yesterday an IAS officer who works with the Delhi government.

The Kejriwal government's decision may lead to fresh tussle with the Centre as only the Delhi Lt Governor can suspend DANICS-cadre officers with permission from the Union Home Ministry.

If DANICS-cadre officers in Delhi go on mass leave , preparations for the odd-even scheme, which will come into force on January 1, may be affected as most of these officers are looking after the projects pertaining to the road-rationing plan.

The DANICS Officers' Association comprise around 200 members who hold crucial posts including that of SDM, secretary to minister and special secretary.