The Delhi High Court on Monday expressed its displeasure over the action taken by a Delhi Assembly committee against a senior IAS officer, saying the “unholy fight” between the Centre and the Delhi government could demoralise the bureaucracy.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar dubbed as “unreasonable” the act of the committee initiating contempt proceedings against Delhi Chief Secretary M.M. Kutty, without considering his request for more time to respond to a show cause notice. The show cause notice was issued to Mr. Kutty by the ‘Question and Reference Committee’ of the Assembly for not following its direction to incorporate adverse remarks in the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of a bureaucrat.
Mr. Kutty, in his defence, has contended that on September 15, the Lieutenant Governor had issued an order that all service—related matters pertaining to IAS officers be put up before him, and therefore, he had forwarded the ACR of the concerned bureaucrat to the L-G.
“He (Kutty) is seeking time to reply and you (committee) say why contempt proceedings be not initiated against him... This act will demoralise the bureaucracy. It is an unholy fight between you and the (Central) government,” the Bench said.
