Sticking to his stand, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to “urgently meet the officers in the Secretariat” as promised by him.
This, even as the IAS AGMUT Association, in an open letter released later in the day, said it wanted to “reiterate” the political neutrality of bureaucrats and civil servants. The bureaucrats attended routine meetings with Ministers revolving around the review of urgent pending matters on Tuesday evening, said sources. They are also expecting Mr. Kejriwal to convene a meeting to discuss issues revolving around their safety as the first thing on Wednesday.
In response to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s letter to him asking that he convene a meeting with officers and elected representatives, Mr. Baijal wrote to the Chief Minister advising him to “make efforts to restore trust between the elected government and the officers.” As reported by The Hindu last week, Mr. Baijal had made the same submission to Mr. Kejriwal prior to the beginning of the sit-in protest on June 11.
On Monday, Mr. Sisodia, in his letter, had demanded the L-G’s presence in meetings proposed by Mr. Kejriwal to discuss apprehensions about the safety of bureaucrats in the presence of members of the elected government.
“The L-G has written that earlier also, he had advised to make efforts to restore trust between the elected-government and the officers...he observed that...officers...are awaiting the CM’s presence in the Secretariat to hold discussions,” Raj Niwas said in a statement.
‘Politically neutral’
The L-G, the statement said, requested the Chief Minister “to urgently meet the officers in the Secretariat so that apprehensions and concerns of both sides can be suitably addressed through dialogue in the best interest of the people of Delhi.”
On its part, the officers’ association, in response to what sources in the bureaucracy said were repeated statements questioning their alleged political leanings, said that as bureaucrats and civil servants they were “politically neutral.”
“We have served under different political parties over the years...we request you not to label us with any political dispensation...We strive to work as per the law and the Constitution,” the Association said in the letter adding that its members awaited Mr. Kejriwal’s presence in the Secretariat to hold the meeting proposed by him.
