Headlines
Centre-AAP tussle may cost Delhi Home Secretary foreign assignment
By
Gaurav SharmaNew Delhi, June 17
The turf war between the
NDA government at the centre and the local AAP government may cost Delhi
home secretary Dharam Pal a coveted foreign assignment as his presence
in the capital isbeing perceived as "absolutely essential" by Lt
Governor Najeeb Jung's office.
Dharam Pal is scheduled to
attend a four-week training programme "Tax Analysis and Revenue
Forecasting" at Duke University in the US from June 21, but the lt
governor's office has urged the central government to exempt him from
participating in the event, citing "unforeseen administrative
exigencies."
Obliquely referring to the ongoing battle between
the Arvind Kejriwal and Centre over transfer and posting of senior
officials in the Delhi government which Dharam Pal is the latest to be
embroiled in, Jung's office indicates that his absence from the office
may lead to further problems.
In a letter to Joint Secretary in
Training Division of Department of Personnel & Training P.K. Das,
Special Secretary to Jung S.C.L. Das says that: "Due to recent political
developments in Delhi and unforeseen administrative exigencies of
pressing nature, presence of Dharam Pal who is holding the charge of
Principal Secretary (Home and Land Building )in Government of National
Capital Territory of Delhi has become absolutely essential."
Under
the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the
Department of Personnel & Training is a coordinating agency in
personnel matters, specially in respect of issues concerning
recruitment, training, career development and staff welfare.
"It
is requested that he may be exempted from the participation of in the
aforesaid training in the public interest without attracting any
disqualification," said the letter.
Dharam Pal, the latest senior
bureaucrat caught in the Centre-AAP tussle, was transferred by the
Arvind Kejriwal government from the post of home secretary for
appointing Joint Commissioner in Delhi Police M.K. Meena as the new head
of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
His charge was given to Kejriwal secretary Rajendra Kumar.
However,
the Centre had rejected the transfer of Dharam Pal as ab initio void.
But Kejriwal maintained that the orders were indeed valid.
An
anomalous situation has arisen ever since with both Dharam Pal and
Rajendra Kumar acting as the home secretary in the city government.
There have been times when both officials have signed files on the same
order.
Interestingly, security in Dharam Pal's office has been
stepped up to avert the episode of an IAS officer being locked out of
his office in Delhi Secretariat. In May, then Principal Secretary
(Services) Anindo Majumdar was locked out of his office for notifying
the appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary.
(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])