Even as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had specially requested the Lieutenant Governor last month not to transfer the Health and Public Works Department (PWD) Secretaries as many projects may stall, Najeeb Jung in an order on Monday appointed new secretaries.
Both Health and PWD secretaries courted controversy as the AAP government appointed non-IAS officials as Principal Secretaries. Dr Tarun Seem, an IRS official, and Sarvagya Srivastava, an engineer, were appointed in February as Health and PWD secretaries, respectively, a post held by IAS officials.
The transfers came a fortnight after the Delhi High Court clarified that the Lieutenant Governor was the administrative head of Delhi and he was the competent authority to clear all service matters including transfer and posting of senior government officers.
Reacting to the transfer of officials, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday tweeted, "Modiji is hell bent on destroying Delhi thro LG. Manish had begged LG not to transfer the officials looking after the Mohalla Clinic and construction of schools projects till March 31. But he didn't agree. Today, several officers transferred by LG directly. Files not even shown to CM or any minister. Is this Modi model of democracy?"
