New Delhi: In what has come as a reality check for government officials in Delhi, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta wrote to Chief Secretary Dharmendra Wednesday, urging department heads to cooperate with newly elected legislators. Gupta alleged that officers “don’t even acknowledge” MLAs’ letters and calls.
It’s likely to be a wake-up call for Delhi government officials, who seem to have largely disregarded MLAs and even ministers under the previous AAP administration. Since the services weren’t under the Union government, officials were said to often disregard AAP leaders with impunity.
With the BJP now in power in Delhi, the bureaucracy is expected to align with the new administration and heed the elected government and lawmakers, and Vijender Gupta’s letter serves as a reminder of just this.
“This is with reference to the procedure and protocol norms to be adhered by the Government Officers and Officials while dealing with the Hon’ble Members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. A few instances have been brought to my notice where the communications of the Hon’ble Members in the form of letters, phone calls or messages have not even been acknowledged by the concerned Officer,” Gupta said in his letter dated 19 March. ThePrint has accessed the letter.
Gupta termed the issue a ‘serious matter’ and asked for a compliance report too.
“This is a serious matter and I think there is an urgent need to reiterate the Government Instructions issued in this regard by the General Administration Department, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India from time to time (Copies Enclosed),” he added.
“I would be grateful if all the Administrative Secretaries, Head of Departments of the various Departments of Govt of NCT of Delhi, Delhi Police, DDA etc., are sensitized towards these instructions for strict compliance. Action taken in this regard may be intimated to me at the earliest,” the letter stated.
According to an MLA a few instances had been brought to Gupta’s attention wherein the officials have either been inaccessible, or unresponsive to their calls.
Previously, during his tenure, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had asked officials not to “play politics” with elected representatives, saying it hampers the government’s functioning and “downgrades” its credibility.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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