Dilli Ka Babu: Court to decide

The tussle over who has the power of governance in Delhi will now be decided by the courts. The Aam Aadmi Party government, which has been at loggerheads with lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung ever since it came to power, has challenged the Centre’s notification giving the L-G absolute power in the appointment of bureaucrats.

The Delhi high court is hearing an appeal in seven such cases. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has argued that once the Centre assigns a state cadre to a bureaucrat, the authority to decide the specific portfolio or posting of the bureaucrat should be left to the state government.

The Centre is now expected to respond and present its side of the argument. Meanwhile, the AAP has also challenged the Centre on the issue of the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Bureau chief which has been a bone of contention between Mr Jung and Mr Kejriwal for some time now.

Staying different

Seeing the consternation among the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers over the impending report of the Seventh Pay Commission due shortly, apparently they believe the panel is going to recommend parity in pay with other services like the Indian Police Service and the Indian Railway Service, etc.

Apparently, some 200 IAS officers, led by Central IAS Officers Association chief Sanjay Bhoosreddy, have written “protest” letters to the Department of Personnel and Training and also taken to social media networks to campaign against this reported move. Claiming that pay parity will put meritocracy at risk, they have enjoined their IAS colleagues to resist the move. The “rival” services fear that the IAS fraternity will use its considerable clout to ensure that their present advantages are not encroached upon by others. It will all become clear soon but the shadow boxing continues.

The job rush

In the days of the Modi government, jobs for the retired babus are drying up fast. With governorships going to politicians, the Planning Commission refashioned, and fewer committees to run, retired babus can now only hope to vie for jobs with the various regulatory bodies. This, sources say, explains the deluge of applications for a regulator’s job and consequently the delay in appointment. The recent appointment of R.S. Sharma as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India took several months. Mr Sharma was chosen from among 77 candidates.

For now former babus are vying for three prestigious posts. The post of chairman of the Competition Commission of India being vacated by Ashok Chawla has reportedly drawn a ridiculous 100 applications, and the post of chief of Securities and Exchange Board of India over 55 applications. Though competition is fierce hopefully the appointments will not get delayed, as they have been wont to. Also, correct me if I am wrong, but whispers already abound that ultimately decisions continue to be taken only by a certain shadowy figure up there in the power elite.

 

 

 

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