New Delhi: Several Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers are not keen to work with the Aam Aadmi Party government (AAP) government after the fiasco over the appointment of Shakuntla Gamlim as the acting Chief Secretary of Delhi.
Sources say IAS officers do not want to be caught in the AAP government vs Lieutenant Governor conflict over appointments, transfers and postings. At least 45 IAS and Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officers want to move out of Delhi to other union territories.
Sources add that six IAS officer have already proceeded on long leave and another 10 are keen to shift out on central deputation. They fear that not will an adverse file noting could spoil their career prospects but they could also be drawn into long legal battles.
The tussle between the government of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung started over the appointment of the 1984 batch IAS officer Shakuntala Gamlin as Delhi's acting Chief Secretary. Jung had named the Principal Secretary (Power), Shakuntala Gamlin, as acting Chief Secretary, but her appointment was opposed by Kejriwal.
While the L-G had got the Centre's backing in the power struggle, Kejriwal accused Jung of trying to undermine the elected government of Delhi and of trying to take over the administration.
After the Shakuntala Gamlin issue snowballed into a major controversy, the Union Home Ministry issued a notification calling the Delhi L-G's powers absolute.
But Kejriwal got a huge boost on Monday in his fight with Jung when the Delhi High Court elaborated on the powers of the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor while ruling on a Delhi policeman challenging the action of the Anti-Corruption Bureau against him.
"The NCT of Delhi shall not be administered by the President through the Lieutenant Governor, in respect of matters over which the Legislative Assembly of the NCT has authority to make law. The mandate of the people, with whom the sovereign power resides, must be respected by the Lieutenant Governor," the court said.
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