‘Lieutenant-Governor’s bureaucrats not cooperating’

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged that bureaucrats handpicked by lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung are neither attending meetings nor listening to their ministers, while putting the onus of waterlogging and traffic gridlock across the city on them. Mr Sisodia along with Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain also targeted the Prime Minister over the “shunting” out of top bureaucrats and setting up of the L-G constituted panel to examine files, alleging that it was formed at the “behest” of the PM.

Venting his fury on the day heavy rainfall clogged the Delhi roads, Mr Sisodia said that since the appointment of the panel on Tuesday, Delhi government has had to focus on “appeasing L-G’s officers” and not the welfare of its residents. Mr Jung has deployed officials “starting from peons to the chief secretary” to scrutinise the files of the last one-and-a-half-years and due to that “three of my meetings had to be cancelled,” he said. On Tuesday, the L-G constituted a three-member panel to fix responsibilities, including criminal liability, in “omissions and commissions” while clearing 400 files relating to a large number of decisions without his approval.

“Why is the L-G, who gave over 50 interviews on his officers, not speaking on water-logging and traffic jam in the city Your officers are neither coming to the meetings called by ministers, nor listening to them. Few even say that they have been barred to do so. I request the L-G to go out like the ministers, taking along officers appointed by him, and solve the water-logging and traffic woes of the residents,” Mr Sisodia said in a series of tweets, promptly shared by the CM.

The deputy CM also lashed out at the “transfer” of “committed officials”, who he said worked tirelessly to implement pro-people policies. The officials, including the PWD and health secretaries, were transferred despite Mr Sisodia’s public request to Mr Jung to not do so as they were involved in the execution of AAP’s flagship projects like mohalla clinics and construction of 8,000 new classrooms. “Committed officials who worked tirelessly to implement pro-people policies have been shunted out. L-G should make officers of his choice work as well,” he said.