Dilli Ka Babu: Battle rages on

There is no ease-up in the tension between Delhi government and the Centre. New flashpoints appear even as old ones simmer. Already the Aam Aadmi Party-led government is embroiled in a confrontation with the Union home ministry over the suspension of two Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) cadre officers who refused to sign a Cabinet decision. The suspension of Subhash Chandra and Yashpal Garg even led to an unprecedented mass leave by over 250 Delhi government officials. The home ministry, however, has declared their suspension “null and void”. This situation is yet to be resolved.
Now to add more fuel to the fire, an AAP MLA Alka Lamba has accused home and finance secretary S.N. Sahai of acting at the behest of the Centre to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal government. sources say that the MLA has written to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia complaining about Mr Sahai and accusing him of encouraging other Indian Administrative Service officers to strike work for a day. Interestingly, Mr Sahai seems to enjoy Mr Kejriwal’s confidence, given that he was promoted twice by Mr Kejriwal once during his short-lived first stint as chief minister and in the current dispensation.

Stymied by Centre: The Oommen Chandy government in Kerala is in a quandary over appointment of the state’s next chief secretary. Jiji Thomson is slated to retire by next month, just days before the expected announcement of Assembly election dates by the Election Commission. Not willing to have a new officer at the head of the state bureaucracy at poll time, Mr Chandy is keen to give Mr Thomson an extension. However, the state government’s proposal for extending Mr Thomson’s tenure has been turned down by the Centre, which is not in favour of granting any extension.

Further, in this present stalemate, Mr Chandy is being nudged to consider S.M. Vijayanand, who is secretary in the ministry of panchayati raj, in Delhi, as the able replacement for Mr Thomson. The babu has reportedly shown willingness to return from Central deputation and is considered eligible to be considered for the chief secretary’s post, being senior to another claimant Nalani Netto. But both are junior to P.K. Mohanty, director-general of the Institute of Management in Government in the rank of additional chief secretary. But since he has only three more months of service he is not a serious contender. Though it is the state government’s prerogative who to appoint as chief secretary, sources say that the Chandy government is chafing at the Centre’s refusal to grant an extension to Mr Thomson.