The transfer appeared to be the first of many, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warning of a major administrative reshuffle at a press conference shortly after the judgment.
New Delhi:. A landmark judgment of the Supreme Court on the control and posting of bureaucrats on its side, the Arvind Kejriwal government removed the Secretary of the Delhi government’s Services department Ashish More on Thursday evening.
The transfer appeared to be the first of many, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warning of a major administrative reshuffle.
Speaking at a press conference shortly after the judgment, Mr Kejriwal indicated that there will be action against officials who “obstruct” public works. “The vigilance will now be with us. Disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against officers who do not work properly,” the Chief Minister had said.
Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party tweeted, “The elected government will have the power of transfer-posting of officers. Officers will work only through the elected government”.
Over the years, Mr Kejriwal has frequently complained that he could not appoint even a “peon” or transfer an officer. Bureaucrats did not obey his government’s orders as their controlling authority was the Home Ministry, he had said.
Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court said the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services and only “Public Order, Police and Land” are excluded from its jurisdiction.
In a democratic form of governance, the power of administration must rest on the elected arm, said the bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.
If a democratically elected government is not given the power to control the officers, the principle of the triple chain of accountability will be redundant. If the officers stop reporting to the ministers or do not abide by their directions, the principle of collective responsibility is affected, the judges added