In a written communication, the Delhi Government has asked its employees to “move on” from the negativity triggered by its recent showdown with the bureaucracy. According to a source, the government has reminded its employees of the deadlines agreed upon for the delivery of major promises. The said communication reiterates the need for “time-bound delivery of services” with regard to the AAP Government’s 70-point charter.
It does, however, acknowledge the delay that these might now be up against given the disruption in work due to the stand-off between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office and Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung.
These deadlines, the source added, had broadly been fixed as per the presentations made by various government departments with regard to various projects in the respective pipeline and must now, according to the communication, be honoured.
“The government is aware of the atmosphere of insecurity prevailing at various strata of the bureaucracy due to its confrontation with the Lieutenant-Governor’s office,” said an official.
“While the communication seeks to remind the bureaucracy that they must deliver, it also seeks to re-instill confidence and faith in the Chief Minister and his office,” the official added.
The Kejriwal-led Government had first attempted to reach out to the bureaucracy at its ‘Janta ki Durbar’ where it sought to inform residents of the Capital about its achievements in the first 100 days of coming to power.
Ever since Arvind Kejriwal launched a frontal attack on the Centre over division of powers for the Capital’s administration, the reactions of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung have been watched with interest. Political observers believe that Mr. Jung has been patient and forbearing.
The last straw in the battle of wits came when Mr. Kejriwal termed Mr. Jung a polling agent of the BJP. Mr. Jung, true to his image, reacted with calmness and cited a Biblical saying about the spirit of forgiveness, which has been perceived as a befitting response.
Despite Mr. Kejriwal’s outbursts, Delhi’s governance structure has not changed. All files are being routed through the L-G for his perusal, even as the matter of division of constitutional powers between the top two functionaries remains with the courts. After the Delhi Assembly passed a “Sense of the House” resolution against the Centre’s May 21 notification, business continues as usual in the Capital.
Emotions were running high last week at the meeting of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The special session was called to discuss the ongoing financial crisis that has forced the civic body to default on commitments. As the BJP-ruled House attacked the AAP Government and the Congress councillors hit out against the Centre, several BJP councillors spoke of old women visiting their offices to ask about the Rs.1,000 monthly pension. Some had tears in their eyes, while others were in urgent need of medical care.
While councillor Renu Gupta said she gave one old woman money for medicines, Parvesh Wahi said an old woman in torn clothes had come to his office. Former Mayor Rajni Abbi said she was visited by an old woman who had no money to perform the last rites for her son. All these stories, meant to stir the emotional hardships faced by pensioners, led Congress councillor Parma Bhai Solanki to remark: “How interesting that old women went around to only BJP councillors’ offices. I can’t pretend to have met one, but I feel for them.”
In a case of one of the highest-ever compensations demanded for negligence by government authorities, a daily wage earner has dragged the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation and others to court over the death of his 9-year old son who fell into an uncovered pit of an underground water reservoir in a park in Badli industrial area on April 30.
Nawal Kishore Shah has demanded a compensation of Rs.1 crore and sought action against the erring officials. When the police were approached, they did not take any immediate action and simply registered an FIR about the boy being kidnapped. Justice Rajiv Shakdher of the High Court has now sought a response from the authorities by September 29.
— By Mohammed Iqbal, Damini Nath and Jatin Anand
