Centre instigating Delhi bureaucrats: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today continued to target Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) over the one-day mass leave by senior bureaucrats of Delhi government even as the babus reversed their earlier decision of working on Saturday to compensate for the strike.

The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that Centre was instigating bureaucrats and there is need to take strong steps against them, saying that he will hire private people from outside for the government’s works.

He said that officers will have to work and “goondaism” won’t work, adding that today the situation of the country is due to “dadagiri” of officers and leaders.

Around 200 DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) officers yesterday went on mass leave to protest the suspension of their two colleagues by Delhi government and said that they would come to office Saturday to compensate the loss of work.

“DANICS officers were committed to working on Saturday, but as Chief Minister already announced that government would take action against those who went on mass-leave on Thursday, they will not work tomorrow,” a member of DANICS Association said.

Members of IAS officers Association is also expected not to work tomorrow.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said, “PM gets declared my orders null and void. Does not do the same with Nitish, Mamata or Naveen Patnaik. Why is he after the CM of a half state? Modiji please take a resolution that you will let me work this year.”

The CM reiterated his allegation that the officers association IAS/DANICS actively working as “BJP’s B team” and said that bureucrats don’t have “expertise.”

“The officers association IAS/DANICS actively working as BJP’s B team. When the association is holding any meeting, the LG is on speaker phone. The Centre is instigating it. This is an opportunity to bring in expertise.

“Bureucrats don’t have expertise. We will get people from outside. Officers don’t work with anyone. Need strong steps against them. The system is bad which includes good officers as well,” he told a news channel.

He also accused the Centre of trying to fail odd-even scheme by instigating his government officers, but people have given such designs a thumbs down.

“The issue is political. Centre wanted the odd-even scheme to fail by instigating the strike. But people have given such designs a thumbs down.
“I stand like a wall between my ministers and the Centre

and take the brunt of the confrontation. I want to ask Modi why is he not letting me work. I have good relations with several Union Ministers. Had called the PM during Diwali but he did not come on line. There’s no attempt to reach out from his part,” Kejriwal said.

Two DANICS officers – Yashpal Garg, special secretary (Prosecution), and Subhash Chandra, special secretary (Prisons) – had been suspended on Tuesday after they refused to sign a file pertaining to the Cabinet decision to increase salary of public prosecutors.

“Officers would decide the merit of Cabinet decision? Elected government will have the final say. Cabinet and assembly are supreme. They can ask for a review but cannot strike down a decision,” Kejriwal also said.

Home Ministry yesterday declared the punitive action against the DANICS officials as null and void. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also questioned the timing of the protest by the bureaucrats, calling it part of a conspiracy to ensure failure of the odd-even scheme being rolled out tomorrow.

DANICS officers are selected through civil service exams conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Union Home Ministry is their cadre-controlling authority.

Yesterday, Kejriwal had said “Professional and Dynamic youth can better develop Delhi. They should be given chance to work on posts which require professional expertise.

“We are committed to the people of Delhi and would make sure nothing stops even if these officers go on six months leave,” he had said.

Reacting to the protest, Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain had also said DANICS and IAS officers do not have the right to go on strike as it is against their service rule.

The Delhi Home Minister had further said the city government was ready to grant all officers even one month or 15-day leave if they applied.

“The two officers were suspended for not implementing Cabinet decision on December 28. If they had any problem with my order, they should have approached Chief Minister not LG. Lt Governor has already asked officers to defy government decision,” he had alleged.

Jain also alleged that BJP is provoking Delhi Government officers to go on strike.

The DANICS Officers’ Association comprises around 200 members who hold crucial posts including those of Sub-\divisional Magistrates, Secretaries to Ministers and Special Secretaries.

Earlier this month Kejriwal had suspended two Sub-divisional Magistrates for failing to provide instant relief to people whose shanties had been demolished by Railways in West Delhi’s Shakur Basti area.