Some of the Aam Admi Party volunteers have been rewarded with plum postings, handsome salaries, accommodation and other perks. The non-elected members of the party are appointed as consultants to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Cabinet Ministers on co-terminus basis. While the ministers can appoint their people as consultants and advisors, the number of such appointees and their salaries, some running into lakhs, has raised questions.
“They can appoint as many consultants but they are being paid from public money. They can have people of their choice but appointments can be made only after Lieutenant Governor’s approval, which they have sought. It isn’t wrong constitutionally but there seems to be over-use of this power to include as many of their party workers in the functioning of the government,” said S.K. Sharma, former secretary of Vidhan Sabha.
During their 49-days rule, Arvind Kejriwal had appointed former Madhya Pradesh chief secretary S.C. Behar and former Delhi Police joint commissioner N. Dilip Kumar as advisors at a salary of Re 1. But now three of the CM’s advisors are earning over a lakh per month.
However, defending their decision, AAP-leaders said that their appointment, salaries and other perquisites were approved by the L-G and the finance department. “It was done within the framework of the government and the Opposition is unnecessary raking up the issue. Even the former governments had consultants, in fact, Sheila Dikshit had 116 such advisors,” said a close aide to the CM. There are can be total of 81 staff members on co-terminus basis with the Chief Minister and six Cabinet Ministers. “Obviously, AAP is lying about the 116 figure. Consultants are appointed by every minister but what is alarming in this case is the number of consultants and the quantum of their salaries. It is just a way to adjust large number of non-elected members of the party in the government,” said former Union Minister and Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken.
Adding to his argument, Mr Maken said that when RTIs were filed earlier to seek information on this, they tried to block it and even the Delhi Dialogue Commission mostly has the non-elected members holding plum posts. “The size of Delhi government is equivalent to a Central Ministry and one or two advisors would’ve been enough.”
