Bharadwaj claims Delhi govt yet to receive 'change of Services secy' file back from L-G office

Delhi Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday alleged that the AAP government has not yet received back the file from L-G V K Saxena's office over the change of Services Secretary, and questioned whether it was "another attempt to obstruct" the democratically elected government.

There was no immediate reaction from the L-G office.

Ashish More was removed by the Delhi government from the post of Services Secretary on May 11, hours after the Supreme Court order placed the control of bureaucrats working with the Delhi government (excluding those related to police, public order, and land) under the elected government.

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Senior IAS officer A K Singh will be Delhi's new Services Secretary, replacing More.

The Delhi government had sent the file related to his removal to the Lt Governor's office, a Delhi government official said.

"Govt sent file to Hon’ble L-G yesterday evening to change Services Secy. Hon’ble L-G is bound by the aid and advice of the govt. However, we have not yet recd the file back. We had written that it was very urgent. I hope we will receive it today," Bharadwaj said in a tweet on Thursday.

Earlier, transfers and postings of all Delhi government officers were decided by the Lieutenant Governor.

"Is it yet another attempt to obstruct functioning of democratically elected govt despite such clear order of SC? GNCTD Amendment Act says that all files need to be sent to LG. This Act also needs to be struck down. Else, LG will keep delaying govt work by sitting on files like this," the minister said.