Delhi services minister Saurabh Bharadwaj locks horns with chief secretary

New Delhi: Delhi Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday directed that no orders pertaining to employees will be passed by the chief secretary or the services department without his approval, amid a growing discord between bureaucrats and the city government.

The office of the chief secretary also issued an order for "strict compliance" of the directions issued by the services minister.

Bharadwaj's order comes close on the heels of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government seeking the Centre's approval to appoint 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service officer PK Gupta as the new chief secretary of Delhi. Naresh Kumar is the current chief secretary.

"In supercession of all earlier orders, it is hereby directed that no orders for any category of employees shall be passed by the chief secretary or secretary (services) or services department without the approval of the undersigned," Bharadwaj said in an order signed by him.

Officers of the services department will ensure "strict compliance" of the services minister's directions, the order of the chief secretary's office directed.

"It is further directed that all officers/officials shall follow the statutory provisions (laws, rules regulations, as applicable) and shall mention the channel of submission as well as the competent authority to approve such proposals in terms of applicable statutory provisions while processing any matter of the services department," the order said.

Bharadwaj's order is the latest in a series of directions passed by the AAP dispensation after being given executive power in the services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, in an important verdict by the Supreme Court.

The Delhi government had recently flagged that the provisions of transactions of business rules (TBR) were not being followed and directed officers for strict compliance of the rules.

Bharadwaj had earlier directed that the secretary of the department will present files directly before the minister-in-charge and not through the chief secretary.

Secretary of departments will present the files directly to the minister and not through the chief secretary in accordance with provisions of Rule 15. 2 of the TBR, he had directed.

It was also observed that the chief secretary was giving directions to officers directly, stated an order issued previously by Bharadwaj Chief secretary does not have any powers under the TBR to give any directions directly to any officer, stated the previously issued order.

The officers were asked that any direction received from the chief secretary should be presented before the minister for appropriate instructions.